ArmInfo.The Prosecutor General of Armenia Artur Davtyan excludes the possibility of political persecution, in particular, against a number of community leaders and residents of the Syunik region.
According to him, the process is carried out within the framework of the law, and a criminal case has been opened on the fact of the incident in Syunik, in which a number of persons are being prosecuted. Artur Davtyan also assured that the Prosecutor General's Office responded to all cases of the use of torture against those who were arrested. All such reports were sent to the Special Investigation Service, he added. Touching upon the instructions of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to law enforcement agencies, Davtyan said that he does not consider this interference in the affairs of the judicial system. According to him, the persons who took part in the meeting and to whom the order was addressed are representatives of the structures operating under the Prime Minister and "he has the right to share what happened with his subordinates."
Recall that during the visit of Nikol Pashinyan to Syunik on April 20 and 21, protest actions were held in a number of communities of the region. The prime minister left Agarak in a hurry and was forced to go around Meghri and Kajaran. Already in Kapan, during the meeting, he instructed the heads of law enforcement agencies to punish all the perpetrators in a strict form. In this regard, a criminal case was opened under articles on hooliganism and the use of violence against a representative of the authorities. This was followed by the detentions of the heads of Syunik communities. In particular, Meghri Mayor Mkhitar Zakaryan was charged with hooliganism for organizing protests in Syunik. The court found his detention unlawful, and he was released. The lawyer of the Vice-Mayor of Goris Menua Hovsepyan, David Karapetyan, reported on the use of torture against his client. According to him, M. Hovsepyan was taken from Goris to the Main Police Department in Yerevan, where he was humiliated.