Police Brutality in Lori: Citizens Assaulted and Tear Gas Used, MP Raises Alarm

Today, I have received alarming reports from residents of Lori Province regarding brutal assaults on several citizens by the personnel of the Patrol Service. This was stated by the MP of the 'Armenia' faction of the National Assembly, Kristine Vardanyan, on her Facebook page.

According to a citizen I spoke with shortly ago, the incident occurred after the Patrol Service attempted to clear the road for Nikol Pashinyan's convoy. During this effort, there was a confrontation with an elderly citizen who simply requested to be spoken to with respect. The elderly citizen's son intervened, after which a larger contingent of Patrol Service members (more than a dozen) reportedly applied brutal violence against the civilians, also using tear gas.

As a result of the violence, two citizens, including the elderly man's underage grandson, sustained multiple injuries, including fractures, and were subsequently hospitalized. According to the citizen, footage recorded by cameras capturing the incident was destroyed today, and they were urged not to speak about the event.

The citizen was pleading for as much public attention as possible to be directed to this incident. I call upon the Armenian Police to promptly clarify the circumstances of the event, to initiate a service investigation, and until the inquiry is complete, to prevent those involved in the incident from continuing to perform their official duties.

I also draw the attention of human rights defenders, urging them to ensure that no pressures are exerted on those who were harmed in the incident and to assist them in defending their violated rights.