Police chief: Protesters were unarmed at March 2008 events
Armenian Police Chief of Valeriy Osipyan does not rule out there are police officers who are involved in the March 1 criminal case into the post-election unrests in capital Yerevan in 2008, which left 10 people, including two policemen, dead.
“There are police officers related to March 1 case who were included in various personal divisions, but this doesn’t mean that they all are to be held accountable, or are subject to accountability at all,” Osipyan told reporters after today’s Cabinet meeting, commenting on the question over involving police officers in the criminal case.
“I cannot say whether any documents have been forged or not. The Special Investigative Service (SIS) will issue clarifications,” he said, adding falsifying documents is a criminally punishable act and he cannot say who has done it.
Meantime, the police chief, who was on duty with hundreds of other police officers on 1 March 2008, claims the protesters did not possess firearms or ammunition during the March 1 events.
“But we have all spotted sticks and other items. Address these questions to those who were the superiors those days,” Osipyan said.
Earlier on Thursday the SIS released a statement saying that the probe into March events has revealed evidence that high-ranking police officials had falsified documents following the March 1 events in order to justify the use of force against protesters, and thus hide their illegalities. Those documents claimed that the demonstrators were allegedly armed.
Related news
- US envoy to Armenia: Thorough investigation into March 2008 events is 'a necessity'
- Third President Sargsyan to also be questioned over March 1 case, SIS chief says
- SIS chief says new documents may emerge over 2008 March 1 case
- SIS head comments on ex-PM’s possible involvement in March 1 events
- Armenia’s SIS presses charges against CSTO Secretary General Yuri Khachaturov