Valeriy Osipyan: One of the main tasks of the Police is to identify  and punish all instigators of collisions in Ijevan

ArmInfo. Recent events in Ijevan are regarded as hooliganism. The head of the Armenian Police Valery Osipyan said this at a press conference on July 24, stressing that attempts to resist the authorities give grounds for a criminal case.

He noted that one of the main tasks of the Police is to identify and  punish all instigators of these collisions.  "At the moment, the  number of citizens subject to detention was 29 people, 13 people were  detained, two days ago 10 people were arrested. Works in this  direction continues. We have a list of people who were most active in  these clashes, including injuries to police officers, "Osipyan said.

He also touched upon the issue of illegal felling of trees, stressing  that the Police will no longer allow illegal felling of trees not  only in Ijevan, but also throughout the entire territory of the  republic.

"Police officers have always fought against this phenomenon, we have  a lot of criminal cases initiated in connection with illegal cutting  of trees, and many people in these cases were brought in. However, we  will continue to be more vigilant," he said.

Commenting on the rumors that big businessmen are behind the illegal  felling of trees, Osipyan said: "The police are doing relevant work,  and there are people for whom operational actions are being carried  out. At the moment, I will not give names, as this may harm the  progress, moreover, we have a possible suspectbut, we need clear  rationales. "

It should be noted that in the evening of July 17 in Ijevan in the  Tavush region of Armenia, a group of sawmill  employees blocked an  interstate route leading to Georgia. The demonstrators demanded that  they, as before, be allowed to cut wood unauthorized. The police  tried to push them off the highway, but the protesters began throwing  stones at law enforcement officers. As a result of the clashes were  injured on both sides. In particular, 13 people were hospitalized. In  this regard, the RA Minister of the Environment Erik Grigoryan  reminded that the RA National Assembly adopted amendments to the  Criminal Code and the Administrative Offenses Code, according to  which the responsibility for illegal logging is toughened. It is  envisaged, in particular, to double the rate of penalties in the  first case of cutting, and if the offense is repeated 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, got off with a light fine and continued their activities.  Now they can be subjected to criminal prosecution.