Request Submitted to Interrogate Nikol Pashinyan and Valery Osipyan

The defense attorney of former commander of the police forces, Levon Yeranosyan, Tigran Safaryan, has submitted a request to the investigative body for new investigative actions and procedural decisions after reviewing the materials of the case against Yeranosyan. This was stated by Safaryan in an interview with 'Hetq'.

“We have first requested to revoke the charges against Yeranosyan, as we believe they are baseless. If such a decision is not made, we have requested to interrogate Nikol Pashinyan and Valery Osipyan, because all video footage shows that they played key roles,” Safaryan told the news outlet.

It is recalled that Yeranosyan is charged under parts 2 and 3 of Article 309 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia. According to the indictment, Yeranosyan allegedly used special means and intentionally committed actions that clearly exceeded his authority and caused significant harm to the rights and legal interests of citizens, as well as inadvertently resulted in serious consequences. According to the Special Investigation Service, Yeranosyan used special means during events that took place on April 16 on Baghramyan Avenue and on April 22 at the beginning of Artsakh Avenue, without having the authority to do so.

In April 2018, Armenia's current Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced the beginning of a velvet revolution, during which citizens were conducting acts of disobedience against Sergey Sargsyan's premiership, blocking streets. On April 17, the election of the Prime Minister of Armenia was scheduled in the National Assembly. On April 16, barbed wire was set up in parts leading to the National Assembly on Baghramyan Avenue. That day, citizens gathered at France Square and moved towards Baghramyan Avenue under Pashinyan's leadership, where clashes took place between police and protesters. The police used special means, resulting in numerous injuries among citizens.

During the incident, Alen Simonyan, then a member of the Yelk faction of the Yerevan City Council and now the Vice Speaker of the National Assembly, was also injured and has the status of a victim in the case. Pashinyan himself also sustained an injury to his hand, but his injury was not due to explosive materials; it resulted from contact with the barbed wire.

On April 22, clashes again occurred between protesters and police on Artsakh Avenue, with sound grenades used by the police. On that day, it is noted, then-National Assembly 'Yelk' faction members Nikol Pashinyan, Ararat Mirzoyan, and Sasun Mikayelyan were detained.

Valery Osipyan, who at the time held the position of deputy police chief of Yerevan, was present at all the aforementioned actions.