Today, the rapid response groups of the
Office of the Human Rights Defender visited 8 police divisions in Yerevan,
providing advice and assistance for realization of the rights of more than 125
people.
The
rapid response groups of the Defender visited 8 persons who were apprehended in
the Police division of Sevan city of Gegharkunik province, while in general advice
was provided to more than 10 persons in Gegharkunik province.
As a result of today's rapid response
visits, in addition to the gross violations of the procedures for
administrative arrest of persons with gross violations of procedures, which has
become a routine practice by the Police, as a result of the Human Rights
Defender's rapid response groups visits, the following more condemnable cases
and violations were registered.
In particular, the cases where the Police
servicemen held arguments with protesters and in this context demonstrated
obvious disrespect towards them were widespread. Such an attitude cannot be considered
acceptable in any case for Police servicemen, since they are constrained by their
status as a public servant, and they are obliged to refrain from holding
arguments with protesters, and refrain from being dragged in “conversations”
with a tone that does not
derive from the status of a serviceman, moreover, they must refrain from
initiating such "conversations"
Today, more than in the previous days, the
cases of apparently disproportionate use of force while apprehending citizens,
sometimes manifested by dragging citizens while putting them in Police cars,
causing bodily injuries (in the case of two persons, broken bones were registered),
twisting hands unnecessarily, and pushing the heads of citizens down.
During the visits conducted by the rapid
response groups, almost everyone specifically complained about the obviously
rude, aggressive, disproportionate force and violence used by the Police Troops
(Police servicemen in black uniform).
In particular, one of the citizens stated
during a private interview that the police kicked him in the abdomen during the
apprehending. This information was confirmed by other persons who were apprehended
from the same place with the mentioned citizen.
The attempts to apprehend the deputies of
the National Assembly of Armenia on 02/05/2022 are especially worrying, and in
one case the deputy was apprehended, but was released near the Police division.
The
Defender specifically underlines that the deputy of the National Assembly of
Armenia are endowed with a special constitutional status, and they can only be
deprived of their liberty only through the procedure provided by law.
Therefore, in all the cases where the Police servicemen are aware of the fact
that a person is a deputy of the National Assembly, they should refrain from
making attempts to apprehend them.
During the visits, cases of apprehending
of persons who were not participating in the assemblies were registered.
Therefore, according to some of the
apprehended persons, they were in the surrounding area to observe, but did not
participate in the assemblies.
In this context, the working method of the
Police to demonstrated a non-differentiated approach is problematic.
Moreover, cases were registered where
persons were appended even after complying with demands of the Police
servicemen, on the basis that they had failed to comply. In particular, cases
of apprehending the citizens after fulfilling the demand to open the roads have
been registered.
The Defender records that in these
situations apprehending citizens for not complying with the legal demands of
the Police servicemen is illegal and unacceptable.
The Police should refrain from apprehending
persons who have already fulfilled the demand without grounds or
justifications.
The monitoring of the Human Rights
defender has raised several cases where disrespectful attitude has been
demonstrated by protesters towards Police servicemen, and in one case where a
Police serviceman was injured.
The Defender once again reminds the Police
that Police servicemen should be in their uniforms, while their uniform must
have clearly identifiable information, mandatorily mentioning at least the
first and last name.
The citizen must be able to identify or
recognize the police serviceman who approached or apprehended him. Today, as a
result of the monitoring and conversations with people, cases of participation
of Police servicemen in civilian clothes were registered. Moreover, according
to the citizens, those Police servicemen act more aggressively and freely.
The Defender demands to exclude the
participation of police servicemen in uniforms that do not allow identification
in these activities.
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