Reporter beaten up at Yerevan protest accuses Pashinyan of 'political immorality'

Famous journalist and political analyst Abraham Gasparyan, who was brutally beaten by police officers at a protest outside the Armenian parliament on June 12, accused Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of “political immorality” after the latter denied any police violence against protesters.

Over 100 people, including journalists and camera operators, were injured outside the Armenian parliament in central Yerevan after police used brute force and deployed stun grenades to disperse protesters opposing the border demarcation deal with Azerbaijan and demanding Pashinyan’s resignation.

Abraham Gasparyan, an outspoken government critic who heads the Genesis Armenia think tank, was severely injured by special police forces and hospitalized with multiple injuries.

Another protester, Yesayi Karamyan, sustained a severe hand injury in the clashes and underwent a number of surgeries.

“Yesayi lost his hands and is still struggling with leg injuries. I'm fine, my head injury has healed and I’m now recovering from rib fractures. The man occupying the prime minister's seat is so immoral that he announced in the parliament, “They say someone's arm was broken, it's a lie”. Look at this Insolence, it’s the greatest manifestation of political immorality,” Gasparyan said in an interview to 24TV.

Separately, the analyst blamed Pashinyan for severing Armenia's relations with Russia amid a lack of security guarantees from the West.