Police Clarifies Incident at Marriott, 25 Individuals Detained

The police have released a clarification regarding an incident that occurred during a protest near the Marriott Armenia hotel, where several participants were detained.

The police statement reads: “On February 22, at 19:40, a group of citizens attempted to enter the Marriott hotel complex in groups, which was prevented by police officers ensuring public order at the scene. A legal demand was presented to the citizens to cease their attempts to breach the hotel complex, which was ignored. Following this, 25 individuals were taken to the Central Police Department for actions specified under Article 182 of the Administrative Violations Code.

During this time, no one identified themselves as a representative of the media or provided relevant documentation. The individuals brought to the entrance and inside the administrative building started shouting and obstructing police operations. Police officers called for calm and urged them to cease their unlawful actions, but the individuals began shouting sexual insults at the police officers, continuously provoking disputes and demonstrating open disrespect towards the law enforcement officials, hindering the normal course of operations at the Central Department.

The individuals were detained on suspicion of hooliganism and taken to various offices within the Central Department to appear before the preliminary investigation body. A criminal case has been initiated based on the elements of Article 258 (Hooliganism) of the RA Criminal Code. An investigation is underway.”