Lawyer Voiced Offensive Expressions: Police Release Clarification

On February 10, a group of lawyers held a press conference, announcing that on February 9, lawyers Marzpet Avagyan and Emanuel Ananyan were present at the investigative department of the Yerablur and Nubarashen administrative districts, participating in an interrogatory session involving their underage client and the police operative officer of the Erebuni division.

During the session, the operative officer is reported to have exerted psychological pressure on the lawyer and the underage client, obstructed the professional activities of the lawyers, verbally abused them, and physically assaulted them along with a group of other operatives. A criminal case has been initiated regarding the incident, and an investigation is underway, the details of which will be clarified upon completion of the preliminary investigation.

Simultaneously, a service investigation has been conducted in the internal security department of the RA Police. According to information obtained during the service investigation, on February 8, at around 16:35, police operatives Sahak Mkrtchyan and Styopa Avagyan were on duty on Azatamartikner Street in Yerevan. In the park, they noticed about 20 young people and approached them for clarification. However, the youths displayed inappropriate behavior and uttered abusive expressions, pushing the operatives and then attacking them and operative Taron Nersisyan, who came to assist his colleagues. Both Nersisyan and Styopa Avagyan sought medical treatment at the 'Erebuni' medical center for various injuries. Five young individuals were arrested.

On February 9, during the interrogation session involving one of the minors and operative Martun Yeghiazaryan at the investigative department of Erebuni and Nubarashen, two lawyers, the minor's father, and a psychologist were present. After the investigative action, when the operative tried to leave the investigator’s office, lawyer Marzpet Avagyan engaged in a personal conversation with him, followed by uttering offensive expressions towards the operative. Lawyer Emanuel Ananyan also joined the argument. The altercation was interrupted by the intervention of the deputy head of the Erebuni division, the head of the criminal investigation division, and other service members.

During this time, lawyer Emanuel Ananyan reportedly kicked operative Vahe Papoyan. According to the data obtained from the service investigation, the altercation between the police and the lawyers turned interpersonal at that moment, as the conversation conducted by the defender was outside the scope of professional duties. Therefore, it is unacceptable to interpret the actions within the context of violence against a lawyer conducting their professional activities or obstructing their work.

At the same time, it is essential to recognize that it is inappropriate to disseminate and interpret isolated situational cases and evaluative comments within a systemic context, characterizing the entire state of affairs in the system. Police officers and lawyers work around the clock to safeguard the constitutional rights of citizens. We urge everyone to refrain from provocative comments and statements that negatively impact the effectiveness of joint work. Additional clarifications will be provided after the completion of the preliminary investigation.