“They covered my mouth so I wouldn’t scream. The torture case is still ongoing” – Samvel Vardanyan (Video)

“The torture case is stalling – there is no progress. In my view, the police officers involved have not only avoided accountability, but have even been promoted,” political activist Samvel Vardanyan said in an interview with the “Are There Questions” program.

“Two years ago, on April 15, I was detained for exercising my right to free expression as a citizen. I encountered a government representative on a bus and publicly insulted him. Yes, my language may have been harsh, but I did not use profanity and there was no physical contact.

Following the incident, I was detained at my home, held for several hours at the Police Central Department, and then transferred to the Investigative Committee. What happened afterward, I describe as ‘Hollywood-style torture.’ While being transported from the Investigative Committee – a restricted facility – the vehicle stopped in a dark, isolated area. The officers exited the car under a pretext, which I immediately perceived as highly irregular.

Suddenly, the right-hand door of the car opened. One individual tried to pull me out, using abusive language; a second joined him, and then I noticed a third. I remained handcuffed throughout. The three of them dragged me to a grassy area. Notably, when we returned to that area two days later, the tall grass there was still flattened. The masked men struck me, insulted me, and spat on me. They then pulled down my pants and covered my mouth so that I would not scream. It is difficult to describe what was going through my mind at that moment...

After three minutes they threw me back into the car, I was breathing heavily in shock. A few seconds later, two police officers approached, behaving as though nothing had happened, as if they were unaware of what had happened.

And this entire script was unfolding with me at its center – in my own country, in its capital, while I was under police supervision.

Full interview in the video