Bryusov Prorector Details Circumstances of His and Colleague's Arrest

Last night, I met my friend Hakob Madoyan, and we went to a location together. On the way, I became unwell and asked him to stop the car, and I got out. This was stated by Sahak Manukyan, the prorector of Yerevan State University of Languages and Social Sciences named after Bryusov, in an interview with 24News, regarding reports that narcotics were allegedly found on him and his friend.

“When I got out of the car, the patrol officers approached; my friend was talking to them. I wasn’t paying attention, as I wasn't feeling well. Suddenly, I saw that my friend was arrested for allegedly pulling out narcotics from his pocket and throwing them away. When I inquired what was happening, they came and arrested me too. They said I was a witness, and I had to go to the department as well,” Manukyan elaborated.

In response to a clarifying question about whether his friend threw anything, the prorector denied, saying, “My friend did not do such a thing; he couldn’t allow himself to do something like that.” They were taken to the department, and it was determined that he could not have any connection to drugs, so he was released, and later, so was his friend.

We were curious if the patrol officers pursued them or merely had suspicions and stopped them; Sahak Manukyan clarified, “No, they weren’t following us; they just saw that the car was stopped and approached.”

Manukyan sees intent in all this, linking it to his activities: “For exactly one year, we have been fighting against the so-called consolidation of the higher education system. I have been very active in this fight from the very beginning and continue to do so; I keep sending letters to the Prime Minister, describing the situation at the university, what violations are occurring, and this is a convenient opportunity for them.”

In response to the question of how the investigators who arrived by call determined that the objects thrown away contained substances resembling narcotics if his friend did not throw anything, the Bryusov prorector stated, “I would note that they did not conduct any operation when they apprehended us. It was only five hours later that they went to the scene and said, ‘look, these things lying on the ground are narcotics.’ I’m a lawyer; I say, ‘Excuse me, during these five hours, anyone could have brought and thrown anything. Why didn’t you document that this was a narcotic at that moment? Why are you only conducting actions five hours later?’”

We remind that earlier information was circulated indicating that patrol officers apprehended the prorector of Yerevan State University of Languages and Social Sciences named after Bryusov and the acting chair of the Department of Philosophy and History, who are suspected of drug use.