Criminal Case Initiated Following Violence Against Police Officer Near Opera

The head of the Public Relations Department of the RA Prosecutor General's Office, Arevik Khachatryan, has made a post on her Facebook page announcing that a criminal case has been initiated regarding an incident of violence against a police officer during protests in Liberty Square.

The post is presented below:

“Factual data has been obtained through materials prepared at the Central Department of the Police of Yerevan regarding an incident that occurred on March 14, 2019. At around 14:00, during his service in front of the National Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet in Liberty Square, Senior Police Officer A.E. from the 1st Company of the RA Police Special Operations Squad demanded the gathered citizens to refrain from interfering with the works conducted by the Yerevan city hall and the duties carried out by the RA police officers. During this time, one of the individuals present attempted to breach the line formed by RA police officers.

The officer did not allow this, during which the citizen committed an act of violence by hitting him twice in the face with a fist.

Suspect G.Sh. has been taken to the Central Department of the Police of Yerevan on suspicion of committing violence against A.E.

Considering that there are sufficient data regarding the elements of a crime, a criminal case has been initiated by the prosecutor of the Kentron and Norq Marash administrative districts under the first part of Article 316 of the RA Criminal Code. The preliminary investigation has been assigned to the RA Investigative Committee.”