Friendly visits?: Some Vanadzor residents are unexpectedly interrogated by police in their homes
00:00, December 1, 2008 | News | Civil Control, PoliceIn what the police regard as regular home visits, Vanadzor citizens whose houses are being attended by police officers see an attempt from police to gather information about them and their family life.
At least this is how the visits are qualified by dozens of Vanadzor residents, whose family members are affiliated with the oppositional All-National Movement (party).
Starting last month Vanadzor (Lori province) police officers have been visiting homes of citizens with oppositional political views or those that do not show particular loyalty to the authorities, asking questions of a similar content.
Arshavir Ghukasyan, Vanadzor resident and member of the Armenian All-National Movement says that the police visited his home and ask questions like “How many people live in your home?”; “What kinds of activity are you engaged in?”; “What property or business do you own?”. Ghukasyan says the police officer ‘hosted’ at his place did not visit his neighbors, visiting only Armenian All-National Movement members’ apartments.
The police officers explained to Ghukasyan, that they were there to confirm municipal registration and actual residence data, following recent local administration elections.
Armen Hovhannisyan, another Armenian All-National Movement member, whose family has also been questioned, qualifies the visits as another way of putting pressure on the opposition. Like others, he believes it is police collecting background information that they may later use against the opposition members should they become politically active.
The citizens interviewed by the police have appealed to the Helsinki Civil Assembly Vanadzor office to identify the purpose of the home visits.
The organization has forwarded an inquiry to the Vanadzor police asking for information on the purpose of such visits – many of whom were among those who were taken to the police department for questioning in regard to the March 1 events.
The organization has submitted a list of 16 names – oppositionists, protesting against the police visits.
Head of the organization, human right activist Artur Sakunts, says the visits are illegal; police have no right to visit homes and ask questions without submitting a concrete document authorizing questioning and the visit.
Colonel Sergey Avetisyan, head of the Vanadzor police says the visits are made to various citizens to specify the number of the registered against the actual number in the house.
“We get numerous complaints from citizens about people registered but not residing in apartments, so we have decided to update the data,” Avetisyan said.
The police colonel asserted there is no need to seek political underpinning in the visits and that the check-ups are not made among oppositionists alone.
Avetisyan refuted statements that police question residents about their private lives or party affiliations. He gives assurance that police officers have only been asking about the number of registered and residents.
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By Naira Bulghadaryan
ArmeniaNow Vanadzor reporter