Epress.am News from Armenia
The office of the Ombudsman of the Republic of Armenia has stopped considering Emma Sahakyan's appeal complaining about the use of force when she was detained on Dec. 2, 2013, and asking for the Ombudsman's help. Sahakyan informed Epress.am of this and said that she received the Ombudsman's "ridiculous" decision days ago. Sahakyan said the RA Human Rights Defender Karen Andreasyan simply sent a request to police, and in the response the facts were obviously distorted, she said.
"It was noted that allegedly an unknown citizen contacted Arabkir Police Division and said there will be riots with improvised explosives at the Marshal Baghramyan metro station, after which the police implemented the appropriate precautionary and preventative measures. It also says that with the aim of ensuring the health and safety of citizens this area was to be evacuated, in the process of which I too was evacuated," she said, showing the police explanation sent to the Ombudsman.
She was quite surprised also by the fact that in his letter Andreasyan mentioned that she has no permanent residence, a fact which has not been mentioned at all until now.
"For two years, under the sun, in the rain, wind, and cold, I have been standing here, and suddenly on the day of [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s visit, police officers remembered that weather conditions didn’t allow me to remain on the street; that’s why ‘police officers invited and guided [me] to the station.' They dragged me away, there were a few of them pushing to get me in the car, they saw that it wasn't working, they held my arms and legs, the rest pushing my back shoved me in the car. Now in the letter they write that Sahakyan wasn't detained by use of force," she said.
On the same day that Sahakyan was picked up by police, another family, also protesting outside the president's residence, was also removed by police.
The Armenian police, addressing both incidents, published a statement [AM] on its official website: "We received information on December 1, 2013, that Ashot Khudoyan staging a sit-in outside the RA President's residence might resort to unpredictable actions; thus, four employees went to Yerevan's Baghramyan Avenue and met with Ashot Khudoyan and his wife Heghine Makaryan, identified themselves and suggested they leave the area, as the Russian Federation's president's official visit was going to take place at the RA President's residence.
"Aware of the situation, they along with their 3 minor children sat in the car provided by police and asked to be taken home, 27 Shahumyan St. in Vagharshapat [Etchmiadzin]. Upon arrival, the couple reported having forgotten their 7-month-old in a container at the place of the sit-in."
In conversation with the Epress.am correspondent, Makaryan accused the police of lying. She says at 4 am on Dec. 2 men in civilian clothing circled the area and at 6 am they detained them with the use of force, leaving their baby behind.
"They dragged me, my husband, and my three daughters, half-asleep and barefoot, out onto the street, forced us in the cars and drove to Etchmiadzin. During the entire time I was shouting that my son was left behind, among the blankets, but they didn't pay attention. Later, after speaking to someone on the telephone, those who detained us were speaking with one another that 'we forgot the child'," she says.