Charges Dropped Against Belgian National and his Armenian Wife

The passport of Belgian national, Yerevan resident Luc Wadewale, who was arrested last month and then released 72 hours later, has finally been returned to him by the Armenian authorities.

This news was conveyed to Epress.am by his wife, Gayane Vardanyan, who added that the charges against her husband have also been dropped.

Recall, Vardanyan asserted that during a verbal dispute regarding the heating at their daughter’s school that took place on Nov. 28 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, as a result of which the glass fell and broke. Following this incident, Wadewale was arrested for “hooliganism” (which was later changed to “brutal breach of public order”). Apparently, similar charges were also made against his wife.

“I studied the copy of the conclusion provided to me and I see that it’s written that a 32×22 photo was ripped and it was valued at 4,000 drams [approx. $10.38 USD], while the broken glass is valued at 3,000 drams [approx. $7.78 USD]. That day, the photo didn’t fall from the wall, but rather the glass fell and broke — the photograph wasn’t damaged,” said Vardanyan. She also mentioned that there is now heating at the school though there are cracks in the window, which is why it’s cold in the classroom.

“Apart from that, now instead of Serzh Sargsyan’s former photo the principal has stuck a photo three times larger in size than the one before. Instead of spending so much money on that photo, they could have repaired the windows in the classroom. Let me also say that despite everything, we will be vigilant, and we will again raise any problems that arise at the school,” she said.