The Armenian police have received differing complaints about a bitter altercation between opposition and pro-government members of Yerevan’s municipal council which turned violent on Tuesday.
The incident occurred during a regular session of the council chaired by Mayor Taron Markarian. Two female councilors affiliated with the opposition Yerkir Tsirani party were confronted by their pro-government colleagues when they tried to give Markarian glass containers filled with sewage collected from a damaged sewer pipe in the city’s Nubarashen district. They called the foul-smelling substance a “gift” from Nubarashen residents.
The two sides scuffled and shouted insults at each other. Yerkir Tsirani’s Marina Khachatrian, slapped a male councilor representing the ruling Republican Party (HHK) after being jostled by him. The latter slapped her in response. Khachatrian and two other Yerkir Tsirani members, including the party leader Zaruhi Postanjian, were then physically forced to leave the council auditorium.
Postanjian sent a “crime report” to the police later on Tuesday. The police also received a separate complaint from an unnamed official from the municipal administration.
Armenia - Pro-government members of Yerevan's municipal council wrest sewage containers from Yerkir Tsirani party's Marina Khachatrian, 13 February 2018.
A national police spokesman told RFE/RL’s Armenian service (Azatutyun.am) on Wednesday that the police department of Yerevan’s central administrative district is “preparing materials” to decide whether to launch an official criminal investigation. No formal criminal case has been opened yet, said the official.
“I think that law-enforcement bodies are failing to perform their duties,” said Postanjian. The outspoken opposition politician insisted that the incident constituted a violent assault on herself and her two associates that tried to approach the mayor.
For her part, Khachatrian said that she slapped the HHK’s Edmond Kirakosian because he groped her during the fracas. Neither Kirakosian nor another HHK councilor, who pulled her hair, could be reached for comment.
Markarian and his aides blamed Yerkir Tsirani for the unprecedented violence. A statement released by the Mayor’s Office accused the opposition party of trying to discredit the municipal assembly with actions “not befitting sane persons.”
Postanjian also said on Wednesday that Markarian has brought more police officers into the municipality building and banned a Yerkir Tsirani car from using an adjacent parking lot. “We consider this to be a continuation of yesterday’s violence,” she charged.