Օn June 12, the Human Rights Defender and the representatives of the Defender’s Office visited Police departments and medical institutions, met the participants of the protests and the Police officers receiving medical assistance, the Armenian Human Rights Defender’s Office said in a statement.
“During the private interviews, both the participants of the protest and the Police officers presented very disturbing information to the Defender. In particular, some participants of the protest noted that disproportionate force was used by the Police officers when they were already under the control of the Police officers.
According to the claims, the mentioned violent actions were of a continuous nature, were not caused by the need to bring people into custody, and were also accompanied by insults directed at people by the Police officers. The Defender considers the mentioned circumstance unacceptable and reprehensible.
Additionally, the information presented by the Police officers receiving medical assistance regarding the participants of the protest throwing various objects in their direction, as a result of which the officers received various physical injuries, is very concerning.
The Defender underlines again that every incident of the use of disproportionate physical force by the Police should immediately receive a proper legal evaluation to exclude the repetition of such cases.
The issue of whether the special measures were applied in compliance with the established standards and order, should also become a subject of special discussion.
The Defender also expresses her concern regarding the fact that during these events, representatives of the mass media were injured while performing their professional activities. The Human Rights Defender has repeatedly emphasized the key role of mass media in a democratic society, and had demanded the provision of necessary guarantees for their unhindered professional activity. It is essential to carry out a proper investigation of the cases mentioned above.
The Defender Ms. Anahit Manasyan strongly condemns the incidents that took place, emphasizing again that the use of disproportionate force by competent authorities is unacceptable under any circumstances. The Defender urges the Police to demonstrate restraint and exclude any manifestation of the use of disproportionate force. The use of force is possible only in the presence of the grounds established by law, in compliance with the standards related to proportionality.
At the same time, the organizers and participants of the protests, in their turn, should demonstrate restraint, maintain the peaceful nature of the protest, and refrain from any attempt to escalate the situation.
All the registered cases are currently being summarized at the Defender’s Office, and will be submitted to the General Prosecutor’s Office of Armenia, to make them the subject of investigation.
The hotline numbers of the Defender’s Office are 166 and (096) 116 100,” reads the statement.
