Police Launch Internal Investigation Regarding Armen Ghazaryan's Statement

Some time ago, international category weightlifting master and referee Armen Ghazaryan made a statement on his Facebook page regarding police violence against him. He stated:

“I am Armen Mher Ghazaryan, an international category weightlifting master and referee. From 1997 to 2007, I represented the Republic of Armenia in numerous international platforms. I am the European youth champion and record holder, the world youth champion, and the world adult vice champion. In the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, I secured the maximum, 4th position for the Armenian team.

After a long, arduous, and active sports career, I constructed a gym in the city of Spitak at my own expense, where all interested individuals can train for free. I do all this for the peace of my conscience, in memory of my father, honored weightlifting coach Mher Ghazaryan, and in honor of the Armenian nation and the Republic of Armenia.

On September 6 of this year, I was in one of the yards of the Nor Nork administrative district with friends, where I was abducted by employees of the Nor Nork police department, merely for being present and demanding an explanation regarding the abduction of another citizen at that moment. After the directive, ‘Break this guy, fold him,’ plainclothes police officers forcibly abducted me, accompanied by derogatory insults, and transported me to the Nor Nork police division in their personal vehicle.

It later became clear that the second citizen’s abduction was taking place for personal motives of one of the police officers. On the 3rd floor of the division, in a dimly lit room, I was subjected to group violence for a prolonged period. Numerous actions were committed by the police that offended my honor and dignity. About three hours later, I was released on the condition that I sign some document of which I was unaware of its contents.

The following day, I went to the ‘Erebuni’ medical center for examination, where I received a diagnosis of closed chest injury, lung contusion, and soft tissue contusion of the right side of the chest. On the same day, I submitted a statement regarding the incident to the Yerevan police department.

During these days, various employees of the Nor Nork police contacted me, attempting to extract false explanations through persuasion and psychological pressure, claiming that the aforementioned incident did not occur and that I had sustained my injuries under other circumstances. They threatened that if I failed to comply, they would ‘fabricate a case’ against me.

I am more outraged not only by the physical hardships I endured in the police station but also by the insults to my honor and dignity, the lawlessness, and the conviction of those officers that they are untouchable and that everything should happen this way.

Publicizing this issue does not have any political subtext, and my statement aims to prevent the cover-up, secretive, and dangerous actions of the criminal police that abuse the system against me. It is of utmost necessity that the working powers of these individuals within the system are immediately suspended until the investigation is completed, after which I hope they will be punished to the fullest extent of the law.

Their ongoing activities pose a threat to any citizen of the Republic of Armenia, as any other citizen could be in my place. I am deeply convinced that fighting against such criminal groups is the duty of all citizens of the Republic of Armenia. I am preparing to fight using all possible legal means. I have already approached various law enforcement bodies. As a citizen of the Republic of Armenia, I believe I am NOT alone, and my state is ready to stand by my side,” the statement reads.