26 Reports Received by Police During Campaign, Three Reports Today

During the elections for the city council of Yerevan, a series of preparatory and organizational measures have been undertaken by the Police of the Ministry of Internal Affairs to ensure proper maintenance of public order and the smooth conduct of the elections. This was announced during a press conference held at the Central Electoral Commission by Armen Mkrtchyan, the head of the Police Headquarters of the Republic of Armenia.

“An operational headquarters has been established in the Yerevan Police Department, and relevant working groups have been formed, including those for information collection and summarization, service organization, coordination and oversight, rapid response, and logistical support, among others. The functions and operating procedures of these groups have been defined. Guidelines for police actions during the elections have been developed and provided to police officers, summarizing the main powers of police officers involved in maintaining public order, cooperation with electoral commissions, and legal violations related to electoral rights,” detailed Mkrtchyan.

According to him, information received regarding electoral violations is verified in accordance with established procedures and receives due processing. The operational headquarters collaborates closely with other law enforcement agencies of Armenia, particularly the Prosecutor's Office and the Investigative Committee.

During the work of the operational headquarters, reports of violations were analyzed, discussed, and processed according to the established order. Armen Mkrtchyan emphasized that a total of 26 reports have been received and discussed at the police from August 23 to September 16 during the campaign, of which 8 contain elements of a criminal offense, while 18 require further verification.

All eight reports regarding crimes have been forwarded to the Investigative Committee of Armenia for consideration on initiating criminal proceedings. Criminal proceedings have been initiated for seven of them, while for one, a decision has been made not to initiate criminal proceedings, which has been verified for legality by the supervising prosecutor.

Of the 19 reports requiring verification, two have been left without action on the basis of not containing the characteristics of a crime or other violations, while checks are still being carried out for the remaining 17.

“If we present the reports on these crimes according to the Criminal Code, four of them were incidents of obstructing campaigning, two were cases of destruction or damage to property, one was regarding obstructing or coercing a gathering, and one was a case of obstructing electoral rights. Three of the reports were received from Malatia, two each from Kentron and Nor Nork, and one from Shengavit police-managed administrative areas,” emphasized the head of the Police Headquarters.

No reports regarding administrative violations have been received yet. As of September 17 at 12:30, two reports requiring verification have been received and discussed, one concerning blockage of the road with two vehicles and the other regarding a son with mental issues being listed on the voters' list. The third report was received from an unknown citizen about a member of the election commission bringing a person to the polling station. Verification work is ongoing for all reported incidents, and further information will be provided later.