Aslanyan on Incident: 'How Could I Look People in the Face Otherwise?'

MediaHub reports: “Days ago we wrote that an incident occurred on public transport involving pro-government MP Hakob Aslanyan and citizen Samvel Vardanyan. The citizen, trying to express his intolerance towards this government, referred to the MP as a 'pro-government monstrosity', to which Aslanyan reacted by hitting him.

We received comments from both Aslanyan and Vardanyan regarding the incident. The MP stated that he would not turn to the police, claiming the guy 'is not that significant' and is doing some sort of bidding, while Vardanyan said he simply publicly expressed his intolerance towards the ruling political force, to which Aslanyan responded by hitting him. That was that.

It seemed like the issue would fade away, but it quickly became apparent that was unlikely. Hours after the incident, the leadership of the ruling party began actively declaring that such incidents should not go unpunished, and thereafter, Samvel Vardanyan was detained and later subjected to torture during transport to the Investigative Committee.

What is Aslanyan’s view on all of this? Is it acceptable for a young man to be tortured and humiliated within the context of this case? And why did he decide to pursue the matter further if he told us he would not contact law enforcement?

'I have never supported any type of illegality, regardless of who violates the law. But do not rely solely on the statements of lawyers; let it be clarified first, then you can speak,' Aslanyan told MediaHub.

The MP noted that there should be no double standards and that everyone is equal before the law. 'That young man should understand that his rights end where the rights of others begin,' he stated.

When asked about his earlier statement that he would not go to the police, Aslanyan replied that he was prompted to act. 'After that incident, citizens kept calling me, saying the internet was exploding with that video. I didn’t react initially, but about three hours later I received a call from the Investigative Committee, who said, 'We have located that guy,' and that I needed to go and file a report. I went because otherwise, how could I look people in the face?' He added that he was prompted to act because Vardanyan had publicized the video.

When questioned about how he feels about looking people in the face now, after the young man was tortured following the incident, Aslanyan responded that this still needs to be clarified. 'Let him not post on Facebook for no reason, so it could pass quietly,' he remarked. The remaining questions, according to the MP, are not within his remit.