Human rights defender Michael Danielyan banned from visiting a detainee in Hrazdan

Chairman of the Armenian Helsinki Association Michael Danielyan, photojournalist Gagik Shamshyan and a reporter of the local Armenian daily Hraparak (Square) were denied entry to the Police Station of Hrazdan town, Kotayk marz (province).

Hrazdan’s police chief who, introduced himself as Stepanyan, did not allow them to enter the police station.

Earlier Lusik Melkonyan, a citizen of Hrazdan town, had during Vahan Khalafyan’s court hearing in Hrazdan’s Court of First Instance informed Michael Danielyan, Gagik Shamshyan and Hraparak’s reporter that her son, Malinov Ishkhan Valerionovich, 29, had on October 10 been taken to the police over drug use suspicions.

The group had therefore decided to go to Hrazdan Police Station.

“She insisted that her son has for two days been illegally held in the police and beaten. Michael Danielyan asked [the police chief] to allow visiting him, which is allowed by the law,” Gagik Shamshyan told Tert.am.

Further he said that the police chief mentioned that he had to call some, probably someone holding a higher post than he, and came back, telling them they cannot visit the young man.

“[They] have even forbidden the boy to have a lawyer,” Shamshyan added.

He also said that the chief of the police had said that he is acting in accordance of the police rules.

Gagik Shamshyan also mentioned that a medical test has revealed that Malinov Ishkhan Valerionovich has not used drugs.