Pashinyan offended the policemen
It turns out that the shouts "No to Serzh", "No to Robert" disturb social order, at least that's how policemen perceived it during the march on October 23, 2007 and started applying force against participants of the march for disturbing social order.
Patrol officers were present during editor-in-chief of "Haykakan Zhamanak" daily Nikol Pashinyan's trial today.
One of them, Khachatur Hovakimyan, told the court that the demonstrators headed by Nikol Pashinyan had started shouting "End to Serzh" on October 23 at the Koryun-Abovyan intersection. "They were offending Serzh Sargsyan and us. They were saying that the police were sold to them," he said.
In the video-clips showing the event that took place on October 23 at the Koryun-Abovyan intersection, it is clearly seen that Khachik Hovakimyan was at a two meter distance from the policemen who were beating correspondent of the "Chorort Ishkhanutyun" (Fourth Power) newspaper, Gohar Veziryan, throwing her on the ground and applying gas spray. Eyewitness Hovakimyan announced that he had not seen such a thing. The policeman's testimonies also contradict his other testimonies according to which Petros Makeyan was arrested and placed in his car. But the eyewitness mentioned that he had taken Nikol Pashinyan and Shogher Matevosyan in his car.
"Did you notice a bruise under Pashinyan's eye?" In response to the question by Nikol Pashinyan's defense attorney, Khachik Hovakimyan said that he hadn't. Nikol Pashinyan declared that it was that policeman who had beaten him. Pashinyan's defense attorneys are preparing to make an announcement for bringing Khachik Hovakimyan to justice.
Since Nikol Pashinyan has also been charged with the cases of March 1, 2008, his advocates continued to prosecute Vardan Gevorgyan regarding the events of March 1. Gevorgyan was near the Freedom Square on the morning of March 1.
"The demonstrators had prepared 2-meter pieces of wood so that we wouldn't approach them. They rolled a 200-liter barrel of fire toward me. It hit my shoulder. I fell, but wasn't injured. Don't you believe me?" the eyewitness said in response to Judge Mnatsakanyan's glance. He also told the court that on the morning of March 1, his squad had managed to disperse the demonstrators until the circus and after that he had gone to the territory near Myasnikyan statue.
Nikol Pashinyan's trial will continue on November 10 at 12 p.m.
