“In the US, Much Stronger Force Would Be Used in Such a Situation”: Zareh Sinanyan

“I know that they explicitly wanted to attack the National Assembly, to break in, which is a crime in itself, and that was prevented,” said the Chief Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs Zareh Sinanyan during a press briefing after today’s government session. He was responding to a journalist's question about how he would assess the police actions on June 12 on Baghramyan Avenue, when stun grenades were thrown at participants of the ‘Tavush for the Homeland’ movement.

Sinanyan stated that he is not an expert and that assessments can be made by experts. “From my experience, I can say that in such a situation, much stronger force would be used in the US, much stronger,” Sinanyan remarked.

The journalist reminded him that in 2018, Nikol Pashinyan stated that the use of grenades is unacceptable; Sinanyan replied that it is important to consider the circumstances and context in which that statement was made. “During the 2018 revolution, every effort was made to ensure that the people did not use any force against the police,” Sinanyan noted.