Tatoyan on the Arrest of Narek Samsonyan

It is evident from the footage of Narek Samsonyan's arrest that disproportionate force was used in violation of the law. This was stated by former Human Rights Defender of Armenia, Arman Tatoyan.

“This conviction is reinforced after discussions with his lawyer Ruben Melikyan regarding the circumstances of the arrest, which occurred while he was on his way to a parking lot near his residence. Lawyer Ruben Melikyan also reported that Narek Samsonyan was not allowed to exercise his right to make a phone call. The lawyer himself had to search for and find out where he was held.

Additionally, according to Narek Samsonyan’s lawyer, he did not participate in the procedural action, meaning he was not given the opportunity to join the personal search of Narek Samsonyan. In this context, the presence of masked police officers is also unacceptable, as the application of such obvious disproportionate force during the arrest creates a real risk of ill-treatment, especially considering that the presence of masked officers in this particular case is not related to protecting the officers' lives or ensuring their safety.

According to the lawyer, the manner of Narek Samsonyan’s arrest itself aims at restricting his freedom of speech and his ability to broadcast messages.

The aforementioned are crucial rights internationally guaranteed to ensure a person's protection from ill-treatment or unlawful persecution during the initial phase of a criminal proceeding, which is characterized by high legal risks,” Tatoyan wrote on his Facebook page.