YEREVAN. – Activist Argishti Kiviryan was released from the Police precinct on Thursday, the Armenian News-NEWS.am reporter informs from the location.

Kiviryan, who was detained in the afternoon of the same day and from across the capital city Yerevan Municipality building, noted that no reasons were given for detaining him, force was used against him, he sustained injuries, and his property was damaged.    

The activist added that the police had not informed him of his rights, and therefore: “All this is unlawful, and Armenia’s Police Chief Vladimir Gasparyan and [President] Serzh Sargsyan are accountable for it.”  

He said they will attempt to file a protest against these unlawful actions.

Argishti Kiviryan also said he had refused to sign anything while in detention, and had noted in his oral statement that he was refusing to sign anything because, in actual fact, they had kidnapped him.

The activist noted that he did not commit any crime or misdemeanor, whereas the police also violated the allowable duration for his detention.      

As Armenian News-NEWS.am informed earlier, a group of activists were attempting to pitch a tent across the city hall building on Thursday, whereas the law enforcement was not permitting this action. Also, activist Argishti Kiviryan was detained. Valeri Osipyan announced that all those who try to pitch a tent will be detained and brought to account. A woman even fainted during the scuffle between the activists and the police. 

To note, the activists—who are on the seventh day of their sit-in—have several demands, which include the dismissals of Municipality Transport Department Chief Henrik Navasardyan and Yerevan Trans Company Director Misak Hambardzumyan.     

As Armenian News-NEWS.am informed earlier, the Yerevan Municipality recent decision to increase the public transport fares in the city had brought about outbursts, several groups were formed in the social networks, and the initiatives were staging protests and distributing pamphlets against this decision. In addition, the Free Car initiative was launched, along the lines of which Armenia’s numerous well-known personalities, MPs, and ordinary residents were providing—with their own vehicles—free transportation to the people.

And on July 25, Mayor Taron Margaryan suspended the decision on the fare hike; but the wave of the aforesaid movement is still alive. The activists demand that the persons, who made the decision on raising the transport fares, be brought to account, and those officials, who used violence against and cursed at the activists, be punished.                     

Photos by Arsen Sargsyan/NEWS.am