In Many Instances, Police Have Provoked Scuffles or Incidents: RA Human Rights Defender

The rapid response teams of the Human Rights Defender visited seven police departments in Yerevan today, as well as the police departments in the cities of Masis in the Ararat region and Ashtarak in the Aragatsotn region. Violations have been recorded, as reported by the RA Human Rights Defender.

1. Monitoring of visits and media publications has revealed that today there were significantly more cases than on previous days where police officers have used demonstrably disproportionate force in the administrative arrest of individuals, with several cases of bodily harm of varying degrees reported. According to information received during private conversations, bodily injuries inflicted by police officers, as well as physical altercations, have occurred inside police vehicles or in front of police departments without any justification for the necessity of taking an individual into custody.

According to citizens, there have also been cases of police officers using derogatory language, unnecessary roughness, and other acts that violate an individual's dignity. The Defender warns police officers to act strictly within the bounds of legality and maintain the principle of necessary minimum force during apprehensions, refraining from any actions that humiliate or degrade an individual’s dignity, as such actions will receive appropriate legal assessment.

2. Constant monitoring of media publications has also uncovered insults aimed at police officers by participants of gatherings that seek to undermine their honor, dignity, and service. The monitoring has documented several instances where non-participants of a gathering have engaged in improper and provocative conversations, insults, and offensive behavior with participants, purposefully damaging vehicles belonging to non-participants.

Instances of intolerance by individuals not participating in gatherings have also been reported. This is an extremely dangerous and condemnable behavior. Participants and organizers of gatherings are obligated to make every effort to minimize obstacles to the realization of the rights of others and the inconveniences caused to daily life and to prevent violence.

3. The police department in Ashtarak has failed to properly complete the “Register of Individuals Brought to Police Units,” meaning that during the visit, there were 12 individuals present in the department, yet no data regarding them has been recorded in that register.

4. Almost all police stations have exhibited widespread cases of individuals being escorted after police lawful demands, without any prior requests made by the police or reasonable time provided after a request was made to comply, which inherently renders such administrative arrests unlawful. Therefore, such conduct is unacceptable.

5. Numerous instances have been recorded where police officers issued threats regarding holding individuals at a police station for more than 24 hours or subjecting them to criminal charges when they exercised their right to remain silent. Such incidents have been notably prevalent in the New Nork and Masis police departments. This type of act is particularly unacceptable and condemnable, especially when carried out by a police department head or another individual in a leadership position or with their tacit agreement. Police officers must respect an individual's right to remain silent, and compelling someone to waive that right cannot be legal or justified under any circumstances.

6. In the New Nork police department, there has been a report of a case where an individual was unlawfully deprived of their freedom for more than 4 hours and 40 minutes instead of the stipulated 3 hours. Thanks only to the intervention of the Defender’s rapid response teams was the individual released without delay.

The Defender reiterates that any detention exceeding 3 hours in the context of administrative arrest is unlawful and shall receive appropriate legal scrutiny.

7. According to citizens, in many cases, police officers have provoked scuffles or incidents, and the same issue has been raised by individuals taken to various police departments. They have particularly expressed dissatisfaction with the obvious rudeness of the police officers wearing red berets and the disproportionate use of force exhibited.

The Defender once again reminds that police officers must act strictly within the confines of their authority, avoiding involvement in private disputes or conversations not arising from their official status.