Fishermen Assault Water Patrol Officers, Verbally Abusing and Attempting to Strike with Metal Pipe

According to SHAMSHYAN.com, an incident of hooliganism took place in the Gegharkunik region on September 3. At around 07:15, the water patrol officer Ohanyan from the Gegharkunik regional detachment of the Armenian Police's Patrol Service observed a fishing boat operated by 60-year-old Vardan Navassardyan from Gegharkunik in the Drahjtik-Tsovagyugh area on Lake Sevan. They requested to see fishing documents, but Navassardyan stated that he had applied to the 'Sevan National Park' SNCO for a permit and had not yet received the relevant license. He added that his boat would not move until the workers from the 'Sevan National Park' arrived at the location.

Shortly thereafter, a group of villagers from Tsovagyugh arrived at the site and began to argue with the patrol officers, obstructing their actions, using abusive language, and attempting to push the boat back into Lake Sevan. This encounter met with resistance from the patrol officers, during which one individual attempted to strike with a metal pipe twice and tried to overturn the boat onto the officer. The patrol officers then used tear gas on the individual attempting to strike with the pipe. Throughout the altercation, threats were directed at the officers from the Patrol Service.

As a result of these actions, the fishermen were unable to move the boat and the fish present in it to a specially protected area. Following measures taken by officers from the Chambarak Division of the Police, it was determined that those involved in the incident included 36-year-old Arsen Navassardyan, 51-year-old Garun G., 51-year-old Azat Hayrapetyan, 65-year-old Samvel Khalafyan, and 29-year-old Tigran N.

As a result of further actions by the police, at approximately 15:30, the boat containing 25 fish weighing a total of 11 kg of the 'Sig' type was transferred to the division's specially protected area. Documentation of the incident has been prepared at the Chambarak Division of Police and has been forwarded to the Sevan investigative department of the Gegharkunik regional investigative committee.