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POLICE VIOLATED LAW ON MARCHES, DEMONSTRATIONS AND RALLIES

Politics

On May 11, Nikol Pashinyan (Impeachment Alliance), Aram Sargsyan (Republic Party) and Aram Karapetyan (New Times) held a press conference at the Armenia-Marriott Hotel. The conference pursued no electioneering purpose. They merely wanted to respond to the May 10 statement issued by the Police and the Office of Prosecutor General on the May 9 clash with the police.

The law enforcement bodies stated that the march was not authorized and the rally participants provoked the policemen. The three oppositionists say the police used gas, violence, arrested the presidential candidate Davit Matevosyan and a few other citizens, and drove the police cars on people to terrify them. Fortunately, there were no victims.

“Here is Article 14 on “marches, demonstrations, rallies,” which clearly defines the powers of the Police Forces. If the Police considered it illegal, it could only stop the demonstration. The Police did not have the right to instruct the rally participants to walk this or that way. Before forcing to stop the rally, a police officer is to warn at least twice by a megaphone to stop the rally, setting reasonable timing for it. In addition, the police have to inform the organizers that it has reservations about the ongoing action,” says Nikol Pashinyan. He stated the participants had received no warnings.

The three oppositionists will lodge complaint with the Office of Prosecutor General to bring charges against wrongdoers. Aram Karapetyan, the leader of the New Times Party, says the government planned to implement another koltso operation in Nalbandyan Street, therefore the street lights were off. “This operation included three parts. Alpha was deployed but did not interfere. What they wanted was to televise the leaders running away, to denigrate them. Our leadership’s logic is that of a prison. When the inmates riot, they always switch off the light,” says Aram Karapetyan.

However, the organizers say the government failed because people did not retreat. If we were unable to control the public, they would chase the policemen, the oppositionists say. Aram Karapetyan does not rule out clashes during the next rallies in case the police take illegal actions. The oppositionists think the behavior of the police on May 9 shows that the regime is frightened. “The government is in agony.”