They call for the immediate release
The Human Rights House Foundation, the Norwegian Helsinki Committee, the Norwegian Tibet Committee, the Polish Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, Human Rights House of Sarajevo, Human Rights Centre of Azerbaijan, the Russian Research Center for Human Rights, the Belarusian Human Rights House in exile in Lithuania and the Human Rights Centre in Georgia, condemn the ill treatment and unlawful detention of the election observer Arshaluys Hakobyan in Yerevan on 5 June 2009.
According to the information received by the South Caucasus Network of Human Rights Defenders, Arshaluys Hakobyan, member of the Helsinki Association and press photographer of the official website of the organization (www.hahr.am), was arrested on 5 June 2009 after he, as a representative of the Armenian Helsinki Association, had observed the elections of the Mayor of Yerevan on 31 May 2009. Accusations were brought against him according to Article 316, part 1 of the Criminal Code of Armenia (Showing Resistance against the Law Enforcement Bodies).
We, the undersigned organisations, call for the immediate release of Arshaluys Hakobyan. His detention contradicts Article 5 of the European Convention to which Armenia is a party. We ask the Armenian authorities to conduct a prompt and impartial investigation in relation to the allegations of mistreatment of Mr. Hakobyan by the Police Department of Kentron District and bring the responsible to justice, as stated in Article 12 of the UN Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
