"Brutality, humiliation, and trauma": Yerevan, Armenia club Poligraf raided by police, petition for support launched
Staff and attendees were thrown to the floor, beaten, and strip searched
Poligraf, a leading club in the Armenian capital of Yerevan, has launched a petition campaigning for public support following a raid by authorities this weekend. Those behind the venue described staff and attendees being physically assaulted by police and strip-searched while later in custody.
Events began to unfold around 1AM on Sunday morning, one hour into an event at the club. Officers arrived at the venue, allegedly without proper legal grounds to enter, and began what has been described as an incursion on the civil rights of those inside.
"Everyone in the club was thrown down on the floor, treated like criminals, and taken to the police department against their will. Some of our staff and visitors were brutally beaten up," the club's management described in a post on social media. "The brutality that unfolded at our club is beyond comprehension and completely unacceptable. We demand justice for everyone who has been hurt and traumatised by this egregious violation of our rights.
"We are under attack. The forces that seek to suppress our way of live threaten our existence. We are being framed for merely being ourselves. They seek to silence our voices, stifle our creativity, and impose their narrow-minded worldview on us. We cannot allow this to happen. We need the support of other institutions, artists, musicians, writers and anyone who values creativity and diversity," the post continued.
"The raid was illegal and all those at the club, staff and visitors alike, were subjected to brutality, humiliation, and trauma. It's difficult to put into words just how much this heinous violation of our rights has affected us all. We demand justice for everyone who has been harmed or traumatized as a result of this reprehensible act."
Armenia has complex modern political history, and its electronic music scene is still largely in its infancy. The collapse of the Soviet Union ushered in almost three decades of economic difficulties, with many blaming successive governments for corruption and kleptocratic policies.
2018's Velvet Revolution, in which then-incumbent president Serzh Sargsyan's third term in office was cut short as thousands took to the streets to peacefully protest and call for his resignation, fuelled hopes of a new era typified by transparent leadership, with youth culture at the fore. Subsequently, a nascent club underground has blossomed, with events including Urvakan festival finding a place on the international electronic music map.
To offer your support to Poligraf, sign the petition here.
