Investigators Fail to Identify Police Officers Who Used Violence Against Parents, Lawyer Claims

Six parents of fallen servicemen, who were forcibly detained by police officers at the "Yerablur" military pantheon, have been recognized as victims within the scope of a criminal investigation. This was announced in a conversation with "Factinfo" by lawyer Vahan Hovhannisyan.

It is recalled that on September 21, during the early morning of Armenia’s Independence Day, police officers applied disproportionate force to detain 37 citizens—parents of fallen servicemen—who aimed to prevent Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan from entering the pantheon, asserting that the person responsible for their sons' deaths should not be allowed access to "Yerablur." Police stated that they were detained under Article 182 of the Code on Administrative Offenses for not complying with the legitimate demands of officers, whereas footage clearly shows that no legitimate demand was made; initially, officers used force to detain fathers, followed by mothers.

As a result of police actions, five mothers of fallen servicemen sustained varying degrees of bodily harm. A criminal proceeding has been initiated under the first part of Article 441 of the Armenian Criminal Code, which deals with the abuse of power or official authority by officials through violence.

Lawyer Vahan Hovhannisyan informed "Factinfo" that six parents have already been acknowledged as victims, and a total of 37 parents will be interrogated in the course of the proceedings. Parents who experienced unlawful violence without any legal demand will be recognized as victims. A confrontation between the parents and police officers has not yet taken place.

Over the past two weeks, investigators have "failed" to identify who used violence against the parents, although the internet is flooded with videos relating to this incident.