We Discussed the Issues of Detaining a Group of Activists: Alen Simonyan

“All the questions and concerns were discussed with the acting head of the Police of the Republic of Armenia, including the issues of reforms in the police and the detainment of a group of activists. Questions related to police reform were also addressed,” said Alen Simonyan, the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, during a conversation with reporters.

He stated that it is inappropriate to declare that the detained opposition activists are being subjected to political persecution. “The person who makes various types of insults towards the authorities is not a politician. Therefore, discussing political persecution and making political assessments belittles other politicians. This is not only about government officials. The police also have a preventive function. The individuals you mentioned are known for their radical statements. There was information regarding them. The police acted within their rights,” Simonyan added.

A few days ago, it was reported that the police had detained Narek Malyan, the head of the VETO initiative. It was later revealed that Konstantin Ter-Nakalyan, a member of the Adequate party, was also detained on the same suspicion. Members of the Adequate party, Arthur Danielyan, Azat Adamyan, and Grigor Minasyan, were also arrested but were later released.