The Office of the Human Rights Defender of Armenia Closely Follows the Rally Processes

• 04.17.2018, 12:09
•  Armenia

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The Office of the Human Rights Defender of Armenia issued a statement over the ongoing events in Yerevan

The statement says:

"1. From the very beginning of the rallies launched in Yerevan the Human Rights Defender’s Office of Armenia carefully follows the process.

A working schedule has been set up, working groups have been formed which observe the rallies on daily basis and pay visits to study the facts on isolating the rally participants by the Police,  as well monitor the media reports.

2. We consider it necessary to state that the rally organizers and participants should act by the principle of not allowing disproportionate restrictions of the rights of others.

3. Today during the whole day the Ombudsman’s Office will collect and analyze facts of use of specific measures by the Police during the rally, the reports on them, as well as the cases recorded by the Ombudsman’s staff on the place of action.

A separate discussion process has been launched based on this information. All materials of the Ombudsman’s staff will be sent to the Prosecutor’s Office with the demand to carry out check operations. In this sense there is an urgent necessity to launch a respective legal procedure.

4. The reports on the rally participants and the Police officers suffering injuries are especially concerning. They must be investigated by strict maintenance of respective international rules.

The incident between the protesters and citizens complaining on their actions is also concerning, and in this context we expect clarifications from the Police.

5. We attach specific importance to the constant calls of MP Nikol Pashinyan and other figures delivering remarks during the rally to refrain from violence and maintain the peaceful nature of the rally.

6. At present the normal operation of media outlets is also important. Therefore, the Ombudsman’s staff keeps in its spotlight the work on not obstructing the journalists professional activity. For this purpose a separate observation is being carried.

7.The law enforcement agencies in their turn must provide constant information to the public on their actions in regard to the rallies, cases of injuries caused to the rally participants and the measures launched for checking them.

The information received from official sources is an important guarantee to avoid the spread of inaccurate information and possible panic situations resulting from them. This is also important in terms of the trust towards these bodies".