The rapid response groups of the Office of
the Human Rights Defender visited 6 Police divisions in Yerevan today,
providing advice and assistance for realization of the rights of more than 69
persons. A visit was also conducted to the Police division in Martuni city of
Gegharkunik province, where assistance was provided to 3 persons. A visit was
also conducted to the Police division of Sevan, where assistance was provided
to 3 persons.
During the visits, several violations were
recorded, in particular:
1. Not only cases where photos of persons
with electronic devices were taken without their consent, but also cases where
Police servicemen in plain cloths taking photos of persons without distinction,
including taking photos of minors while entering them into a Police division
were also recorded. A citizen noted that when they asked whether they can
refuse to be photographed, a Police serviceman stated that they cannot. The
Defender also referred to the inadmissibility of photographing of persons with
personal electronic devices by Police servicemen in the 2021 Annual Report. The
Defender reaffirms that according to the Law on Police of Armenia, video
recording, videotaping and photography are carried out only by official
(non-personal) technical means, and only in public places. It is unacceptable
to photograph apprehended persons in Police divisions with personal cellular
phones.
2. Today, cases where people were
apprehended after complying with the demand of Police servicemen were also
registered. In particular, persons were apprehended on the crossroad between
Vagharshyan-Kochar after they had already moved from the street and traffic was
resumed, which was the legal demand of the Police serviceman. The Defender
restates that in such cases, administrative arrest on the grounds of
non-fulfillment of the legal requirement of Police servicemen is illegal.
3. It is unfortunate to note that despite
numerous announcements made in the previous days, according to the video
footages disseminated by mass media outlets, several Police servicemen were
apprehending a minor in Abovyan-Koryun streets of Yerevan, using
disproportionate force.
4. As a result of today's monitoring,
cases of more brutal use of force were registered during the apprehending of
persons in the section falling between Victory bridge and Hraztan Stadium, and
Myasnikyan Street in Yerevan. Firstly, the monitoring and the statements made
by the apprehended persons prove that Police servicemen did not make demands in
advance, while the ground for the apprehending of the persons was the alleged
non-compliance with those demands.
Moreover, cases were registered where persons were dragged while being
put in the Police vehicles, their arms unnecessarily twitted, and other manifestations
of disproportionate use of force. Moreover, during the private interviews held
with the persons who were apprehend from those areas, it was revealed that they
had various types of bodily injuries, which, according to the them, were caused
as a result of the use of force by the Police servicemen. An ambulance service
was called to the Police division to provide medical assistance. The Defender
notifies that they will address letter to the law enforcement bodies in the
context of the registered injuries, the received information, and the
photographs taken, demanding that the incident will be subjected to thorough
investigation, and will ensure that the guilty parties will be held
responsible.
5. Numerous cases have been registered
when no action was taken against the citizens for about 1.5 hours after the
actual deprivation of liberty. In another case, Police servicemen informed a
citizen of their rights, including the right to remain silent after the latter
had presented themselves and after the end of the procedures. The Defender states
that informing a person about their rights is not an end in itself; this must
be implemented before any other action is taken to ensure that those rights,
including the right to remain silent, are exercised in practice. The
manifestation of such behavior towards minors is especially condemnable.
6. As a result of the rapid response
visits by the Office of the Human Rights Defender, issues of loss of cash
money, loss of cellular phones or alleged theft during the process of the
apprehending were raised by several persons. The Defender will apply to the
relevant stated bodies to ensure a proper investigation is implemented.
7. As a result of the monitoring of the
publications of mass media outlets by the Office of the Human Rights Defender,
incidents between apprehended persons and Police servicemen in the Police
vehicle were registered, where insults and swearing, and pushing and shoving
conducted by both sides were also recorded. In this context, the Defender notes
that Police servicemen are restrained by their official status, to refrain from
any kind of ill-treatment of persons under their custody. At the same time, the
Defender considers condemnable all the cases of insulting, swearing, and other
degrading expressions aimed at Police servicemen by apprehend persons. Cases of
damage to the Police vehicles by the protesters were registered.
8. The monitoring of mass media outlets
and social networks registered manifestations of extreme hate speech aimed at
both the Police servicemen and citizens. Moreover, the public expression of
hate speech against a person due to their opinion or different position is
especially condemnable; which was followed by the use of force, bottles and
other objects were thrown at the persons who was the target of the hate speech.
The analysis of similar incidents in the previous days demonstrates that the
condemnation of such acts by the organizers of the assemblies or public figures
can be a precautionary method.
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