Caretaker Minister of Interior Bassam Mawlawi asked the General Inspectorate of the Internal Security Forces (ISF) on Monday to conduct “a thorough investigation” into the violence that marked the demonstration organized by supporters of the Tachnag party on Thursday, September 28, in front of the Azerbaijani Embassy in Ain Aar.
Several people, including children, were injured or suffered respiratory problems during scuffles between demonstrators and security forces, who were heavily deployed in the area and used tear gas canisters to disperse the crowd and prevent them from approaching the embassy.
In his note to the ISF, Mawlawi particularly referred to the words of the head of Tachnag, Hagop Pakradounian, who reported on one of the television channels “the excessive use of force by security agents.” However, the Minister claimed not to have been informed of the security measures taken during the demonstration, namely “the use of tear gas, which resulted in injuries to military personnel and civilians, as well as to children present with their parents.”
At the end of the investigation, “appropriate measures will be taken against those responsible, should their guilt be established,” the text said.
Mawlawi spoke briefly about Friday’s demonstration, following a meeting with the Speaker of the House, Nabih Berri, with whom he met to discuss the issue of Syrian migrants.
He told the press that this manifestation “was not authorized,” and that “the situation on the ground has been managed by the security forces, with the assistance of the military forces, considering the circumstances.” However, he did not address the issue of violence.
He also announced that he had discussed “the thorny issue of Syrian migration” with Berri. “This problem must be resolved scientifically and logically, through persevering follow-up first on the political level, then by taking all the necessary administrative and security measures on the ground,” he said.
“This topic should not be subject to escalation, especially as it is the subject of a consensus. The whole population is united around this issue, and it is essential that this unity be preserved, away from tensions, to reach a solution,” he concluded.
