Skirmish in Kapan: Hraparak

On November 7 a group of young man was involved in a skirmish with patrol servicemen in the town of Kapan, Syunik marz (province), according to local Armenian daily Hraparak (Square).

The young men, according to the source, were cursing out loud in the street (probably drunk) as the patrol warned them not to disturb public order. But the young men were physically well trained and the patrol had to call the police.

The young men would not obey to the policemen either, and Kapan's Police Chief Armen Gevorgyan had to come to the scene of the incident himself, though he was also verbally assaulted by the young men.

As a result the young men were taken to the police through the use of force.

On November 9 upon a ruling by the District Judge of Syunik Province Napoleon Ohanyan a criminal case was filed against the young men. They are charged with Article 316 (violence against the representative of authority) and Article 258 (hooliganism) of Armenian Criminal Code.

According to Hraparak, Dzorik Vardanyan, an investigator of Sunik's Interrogation Department, was hospitalized due to the skirmish, and the charges that will be brought against those young men depend on his health condition.

Further the source mentions that the prosecutor initially decided to release the young men on bail, but Armenia's Police Chief Alik Sargsyan was notified of the details of the incident, which made Napoleon Ohanyan to change his mind.

"A policeman's dignity must not be transgressed regardless whose sons they are and what financial standing they have," Alik Sargsyan has said.

Further the source mentions that the father of one those young men are an influential personality in Syunik.