Involvement of Masked Police Officers During Daytime Should Be Excluded: Human Rights Defender

The involvement of masked police officers in public places during daytime civil actions or peaceful gatherings to halt such activities or detain individuals should be excluded. This was stated in a declaration released by the office of the Human Rights Defender of Armenia.

“This is primarily necessary to ensure that police officers can be clearly and individually identified during assemblies. Furthermore, it guarantees that any form of mistreatment by police officers is prevented. Moreover, this practice can complicate the individualization of alleged offenders when investigating complaints or reports of mistreatment,” the statement read.

“Therefore, the police should act in a manner that ensures predictability and clarity of their actions for the participants of gatherings or any other civil actions. It also concerns the need for individuals to clearly understand the specific attire of a police officer.”

The Human Rights Defender has received assurance from the police that the masked individuals were police officers. This phenomenon was also noted by the Human Rights Defender during the April 2018 events when masked police officers were involved in public gatherings or other civil actions.

The use of masks or other special attire should only be permissible in specific situations where the necessity is justified by the circumstances of the particular situation and is vital for the safety of police officers and other lawful purposes.

By the order of the Human Rights Defender, the results of the rapid response visits conducted today by groups to the police subdivisions of Yerevan and Gyumri will be summarized, and corresponding letters will be sent to the competent state bodies for necessary clarifications,” the statement concluded.