Epress.am News from Armenia
8:50 pm: Belgian national, Yerevan resident Luc Wadewale, after signing a waiver not to leave the city, was released from Mashtots Police Department. Wadewale’s wife, Gayane Vardanyan, told Epress.am though her husband was released, his passport has not been returned to him yet.
7:10 pm: Wadewale refused to give a testimony and enter into a confrontation because police had called to a face-to-face meeting the school principal and a teacher, who were not present when the incident occurred in the school. This news was conveyed to Epress.am by Wadewale’s wife, Gayane Vardanyan.
4:25 pm: Wadewale is being questioned at the Mashtots Police Department. Also present during the questioning is Wadewale’s attorney Armenuhi Arakelyan and a licensed interpreter.
The Yerevan-based Helsinki Association for Human Rights is keeping an eye on the case. Helsinki Association attorney Nina Karapetyants told Epress.am that once they found out that Wadewale’s health is poor and the police aren’t calling paramedics they immediately called the Mashtots Police Department and asked for an explanation.
According to Karapetyants, the police said that Wadewale doesn’t have any health problems. “We wouldn’t want to screw ourselves over; we wouldn’t want any problems by not calling the paramedics if the man is feeling ill,” they said, according to Karapetyants. [This paragraph was updated with a better translation at 5:35 pm.]
3:05 pm: Wadewale who was charged on Monday under RA Criminal Code Article 258 Section 3 Paragraphs 1 and 2 (“hooliganism”), continues to wait for an interpreter.
Wadewale was moved to Mashtots police station for questioning at 11 am on Tuesday, Wadewale’s wife, Gayane Vardanyan, told Epress.am. However, the investigator cannot question the detainee due to the absence of an interpreter.
As reported by the Epress.am correspondent on the scene, Wadewale was able to see his wife, who after leaving the building said her husband was feeling unwell, and that there was blood coming out of his nose.
According to Vardanyan, she asked for a paramedic to be called, but police ignored her request. They also forbid her from passing on his medication to him, suggesting he take them on the spot.
Afterwards, Vardanyan called the RA Human Rights Defender’s Office to inform them of what took place. She was told the Ombudsman’s Office had already been informed of the matter and are working on the issue.
A group of Armenian National Congress activists are currently standing outside the Mashtots police station, demanding Wadewale’s release.