The Republic of Armenia Police is again facing criticism for its apparent campaign of questionable arrests of supporters of oppositional parties who have attended public gatherings to protest the results of the November 27 constitutional referendum.

Last weekend about 30 demonstrators from the “Hanrapetutyun”, “Zharangutyun” and National-Democratic Union (NDU) parties were taken from streets by plain-clothed law enforcement to the police precinct of the Kentron district of Yerevan. NDU party members, wife and husband Margarita Manukyan and Vrezh Yeranosyan were among those held for several hours.

“My husband and I were going down the street passing the Moscow Cinema,” says Margarita Manukyan. “And suddenly people dressed in civilian clothes blocked our way, they seized us both by the arm and put us into a car. They took us to the police precinct of Kentron. They drew up an act that we had participated in an unsanctioned rally (the municipality did not give permission) and were disturbing public order. At that moment, there were 22 people brought to police. Then we were taken to Malatia’s police precinct. And from there, at about 10 p.m., they let us go.”

Helsinki Committee Chairman Avetik Ishkhanyan together with lawyer Vardan Zurnachyan visited the police precincts of Kentron and Malatia, however they were not allowed to see the detainees.

Said Ishkhanyan: “Those caught in Kentron were taken to the police precincts of the areas where they lived. We went to Malatia’s police precinct and asked the policemen to allow the lawyer to see those detained. A police official did not allow. When they were released it was already after 10 p.m. We learned that they had been released by the order of the Republic’s Chief Policeman Hovhannes Varyan.”

“Hanrapetutyun” party officials reported that on December 4 police in Charentsavan took party members Sasha Sayadyan and Arayik Khalafyan to a police precinct and held them there for 20 hours demanding that they should refuse to participate in the rally scheduled by the opposition for December 9.

The Public Relations and Information Department of the Police denies that anyone was brought to police, saying that the news does not correspond to reality.

By Vahan Ishkhanyan, ArmeniaNow reporter