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ARMENIAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST BLAMES POLICE FOR EXCESSIVE ACTION
18:13 ~U 10.04.13
The Helsinki Committee's President thinks that Tuesday clashes which
followed the presidential inauguration event saw the police taking
excessive measures against the public.
"We have conducted a monitoring of peaceful assemblies after all
presidential elections. I talked to the [participants] yesterday
to make an evaluation today. I fixed violations in several places,"
Avetik Ishkhanyan told a news conference on Wednesday.
He said the policemen used a foul language against the people who
had thrown candles to them at yesterday's rally.
The activist added that it is still questionable to what extent the
police acted lawfully by taking several protesters to a precinct
station. "It was carried out in a very rude manner and there were
violations," he noted.
As for the police measures to ban an afternoon procession to the
presidential palace, Ishkhanyan said their lawfulness is disputable
as an earlier notice for holding the event had been rejected.
"It's a different matter that the continuation was spontaneous, with
things going on without Raffi Hovhannisian's decision," he said,
adding that the police have no right to intervene in a peaceful
public assembly.
Ishkhanyan noted in the meantime that the police wall to ban the crowd
from moving ahead fell within the logic of the inauguration. "I don't
think any country would allow such an attempt at the ceremony. But
the evening ban, when everything was over, was an excessive measure
by the police. The procession was peaceful, so the proportionality
was violated," he said.
Armenian News - Tert.am
18:13 ~U 10.04.13
The Helsinki Committee's President thinks that Tuesday clashes which
followed the presidential inauguration event saw the police taking
excessive measures against the public.
"We have conducted a monitoring of peaceful assemblies after all
presidential elections. I talked to the [participants] yesterday
to make an evaluation today. I fixed violations in several places,"
Avetik Ishkhanyan told a news conference on Wednesday.
He said the policemen used a foul language against the people who
had thrown candles to them at yesterday's rally.
The activist added that it is still questionable to what extent the
police acted lawfully by taking several protesters to a precinct
station. "It was carried out in a very rude manner and there were
violations," he noted.
As for the police measures to ban an afternoon procession to the
presidential palace, Ishkhanyan said their lawfulness is disputable
as an earlier notice for holding the event had been rejected.
"It's a different matter that the continuation was spontaneous, with
things going on without Raffi Hovhannisian's decision," he said,
adding that the police have no right to intervene in a peaceful
public assembly.
Ishkhanyan noted in the meantime that the police wall to ban the crowd
from moving ahead fell within the logic of the inauguration. "I don't
think any country would allow such an attempt at the ceremony. But
the evening ban, when everything was over, was an excessive measure
by the police. The procession was peaceful, so the proportionality
was violated," he said.
Armenian News - Tert.am