I Did Not See Women Falling to the Ground During the Clashes at Amulsar: Vayots Dzor Police Chief

Six citizens participating in the protest in Amulsar have been detained. This was announced by the Chief of Police of Vayots Dzor, Gevorg Azizyan, during the ongoing protest at Amulsar.

In response to a journalist’s observation that force was used while detaining citizens, and that women fell to the ground, Azizyan stated: “During the clashes, when an attempt was made to maintain public order, I did not see that women fell to the ground, but it is possible that such a situation may have arisen. In any case, there is no intention behind this; the police forces merely attempted to fulfill their functional responsibilities as prescribed by law.”

Azizyan noted that when a citizen does not comply with the demands, coercive measures are applied to them. When asked if the use of coercion was justified, Azizyan replied, “In such situations, yes.”

Regarding what actions the police would take, Azizyan responded that they would maintain public order, try to calm the situation, conduct monitoring to ensure no illegal acts occur, and call on individuals to adhere to the rules established by the governor.

In response to the observation that the road remains blocked, and whether the police would take any action, Azizyan stated: “Considering the situation at this moment, we will only monitor it and urge citizens to open the road.”

When asked whether it seemed that the police felt guilty for injuring activist Arthur Grigoryan’s foot, and therefore displayed neutrality, Azizyan replied that there is no guilt because, in his assessment, it was an accident that occurred during an unfortunate incident.

He also mentioned that if it is recorded that disproportionate force was used, those responsible would be punished. When asked if he sees potential for discussion, Azizyan replied, “Of course! I have frequently attended these citizens' protests and have interacted with them. They are all reasonable, conscious individuals with certain demands. I cannot assess the demands because I am in service.”