Epress.am News from Armenia
The passport of Belgian national, Yerevan resident Luc Wadewale, who was arrested on Nov. 28 for “brutal breach of public order” and then released three days later, has still not been returned to him by the Armenian authorities.
He has appealed to Honorary Consul of Belgium to Armenia Grigor Badiryan, Wadewale’s wife Gayane Vardanyan told Epress.am today.
“[Honorary] Consul Badiryan told my husband that the Government of Armenia will give him freedom and return his passport. Afterwards, our attorney contacted the investigator on the case and demanded the passport since [Wadewale] has to undergo surgery for a hand fracture in Belgium on Jan. 20. Furthermore, he has disability status in Belgium and once every two months he has to undergo a medical examination, but since he doesn’t have his passport he is unable to make use of that,” she said.
Vardanyan also mentioned that all the documents the Kingdom of Belgium sent them they presented to the police, but they have not yet returned his passport.
According to Vardanyan, Wadewale also called the Belgian embassy in Russia, where they informed him that he has to take his passport and never return to Armenia again.
Recall, Vardanyan asserts that during a verbal dispute regarding the heating at their daughter’s school that took place between the teaching staff and the couple, who are members of the opposition bloc Armenian National Congress, her husband accidentally bumped into a portrait of Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan on the wall that subsequently fell and the glass broke.
The couple signed a document saying they won’t leave the city and so, must remain in Yerevan for now.
“Basically, my three children, who are citizens of Belgium, are hostages here because they can’t go to Belgium, because we can’t leave the city, and they can’t go there without us,” she said.