What Violations Were Detected by the Human Rights Defender During Today's Rally

The Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia presented the results of the rapid response groups’ visits and ongoing monitoring. The Human Rights Defender's rapid response teams visited seven police departments in Yerevan, as well as the police stations in the cities of Masis in the Ararat region and Vagharshapat in the Armavir region, where a number of violations were recorded.

“Attempts were made to detain National Assembly Deputy Artavazd Minasyan, and police officers tried to place him in a police vehicle. This was accompanied by pulling and pushing him. It is particularly condemnable that the police officers recognized the individual, addressed him by name, and nevertheless attempted to forcibly detain him,” the statement reads.

The Human Rights Defender warns that a Member of the National Assembly cannot be deprived of their freedom unless they are caught in the act of committing a crime or immediately thereafter.

In the department of the Yerevan city police responsible for the protection of the metro named after K. Demirchyan, there were incidents of police officers beating and insulting two minors. The Defender has contacted the police leadership on this matter, and they assured him that the circumstances of the case are being thoroughly investigated to provide an appropriate assessment.

“During private conversations with those detained, citizens noted that obvious disproportionate physical force was used against them by the police, and in some cases, this force manifested in various types of blows, including to the head. There have been widespread cases of citizens being taken from sidewalks, adjacent areas, and parks. In some instances, even citizens not participating in the demonstrations have been subjected to administrative detention. In other words, the detentions have not been based on any failure to comply with a police officer's legal request,” the Human Rights Defender reports.

Today’s ongoing monitoring also recorded instances of participants in the gathering insulting, threatening, and exhibiting provocateur behavior towards police officers.