A1+ journalist beaten up by a notorious police chief amid reports of new detentions of opposition supporters in Yerevan

Just what we needed to 'mark' the first anniversary of Serj Sargsyan presidency in Armenia. Reports of detentions of number of opposition supporters in Yerevan, and reports that a journalist of independent/pro-opposition news outlet and banned TV station A1+ David Jalalyan was beaten up by a notorious police chief nicknamed "Bazaz". A senior opposition representative Levon Zurabyan was briefly detained too.

A1+ reports: "A1+'s journalist David Jalalyan was been beaten up by the Chief of the Patrol Division, Robert Melkonyan (nicknamed "Bazaz") in Northern Avenue minutes ago. David was attacked the moment he was trying to shoot policemen pushing and beating the participants of political walks. Robert Melkonyan hit David on the face and in the stomach. Some other policemen joined in the beating shortly afterwards. After rendering first aid an ambulance car took David Jalalyan to hospital from A1+'s editorial office. A1+'s President Mesrop Movsesyan says he will be consistent and will get his way through justice: all criminals will be punished."

*photos - via A1+