Thursday, July 18 2019 14:37

ArmInfo.  After the evening clashes  that took place on July 17 in Ijevan, the police detained 19 people.  The head of the Armenian police Valery Osipyan, who arrived in Ijevan  to keep the situation under personal control, said this in an  interview with journalists.  To recall, the residents of Ijevan,  engaged in illegal logging, blocked the road of interstate  significance, demanding the removal of stationary posts that monitor  cases of illegal logging. As a result, hundreds of cars were blocked.

At the attempt of the police to unblock the road, the protesters  began throwing stones at the police. As a result, 12 policemen with  various injuries were taken to hospital.

According to the police chief, a group of 500 to 600 people, unhappy  with the location of these facilities at the sites, blocked the road  the night before, refusing to comply with the lawful demands of the  police.

"I decided to send additional forces to Ijevan and arrived there  myself. I  personally reported on the situation to Prime Minister  Nikol Pashinyan. I was met by about 30 people. During the talks with  them, I explained that their actions were illegal, but they tried to  speak with me in the language of blackmail, calling for me to give an  order that would confirm their demands. But I said that not only  would I not give such an order, but a criminal case would be  initiated in connection with the incident and the perpetrators would  be punished, " the head of the Armenian police said, explaining that  the case was initiated on the facts of hooliganism and resistance to  the authorities.

"At the moment, 19 persons have been detained," he added, assuring  that work on finding other guilty persons and bringing them to  justice would be consistent.

In connection with yesterday's incident, RA Minister of Nature  Protection Erik Grigoryan reminded at today's government meeting that  two weeks ago the RA National Assembly adopted amendments to the  Criminal Code and to the Code of Administrative Offenses, according  to which measures for illegal logging are toughened.

It is envisaged, in particular, to double the penalties in the first  case of felling, and in case of repeating the offenses during the  year to bring violators to criminal responsibility. Thus, as the  minister noted, all those loopholes used by a certain category of  citizens were excluded. Previously, they, for committing illegal  logging, paid a light fine, and continued their activities. Now they  may face criminal prosecution.