Relatives of the Arrested: 'Drunken Policemen Came and the Clash Started' in Ijevan

Following clashes between police and local residents blocking a road in Ijevan the day before, relatives of those arrested gathered in front of the Ijevan regional administration, demanding the release of their loved ones. One of them, whose son is also in police custody, stated, “What have they done, did they kill someone, to get arrested? They should demand their murderers, judge their murderers. They won’t gain anything from this; let them give us back our innocent children. There are no jobs, let them create jobs, open a factory, what do they want? It has turned into the story of the Golden Fish, they want to live well, while our children are struggling under loans and debts. Drunken policemen came and the clash started.”

Another woman mentioned that the police came to clear the road, but their MP Vahe Ghalumyan told them that the international road has not been opened for three days, which she claimed was incorrect. “We opened it from time to time, what would happen if we hadn’t? Look at the condition of the cars,” she said, adding that at night they came and gathered everyone up.

“We told Ghalumyan that we want them to have legal documents, to legally remove the timber, but they have reached a point where people want to sneak into the forest and cut trees. A 15-year-old boy recounted that five people tried to take him away too, saying, “They were beating me, breaking my shoulder, they used force to free the people. We did what we could to prevent them from taking our people.”

The gathered individuals insisted that police dressed in civilian clothes infiltrated the crowd and incited the clash. “They poured gasoline on the fire. Police officers from outside dragged and beat people, carrying them away with their hands tied. We have evidence that it was the police who attacked the people. We are collecting this evidence to present it to the prosecutor's office and the regional administration, let them see. They have now also brought troops to Ijevan.”

One of the women declared that the forest belongs to those who live there. “Our demand is that just as they took our kids, they should also release them. Those who were throwing stones were the police in civilian clothes. Those who filmed the police's actions were exactly those young men in police custody with their phones.”

Earlier, it was reported that on the evening of July 17, police attempted to clear the road used by protesters who blocked it due to demands for deforestation in Ijevan, resulting in clashes during which both police officers and civilians were injured. A criminal case has been initiated regarding the incident, with 13 individuals arrested.