Rights Protection Commission at the Chamber of Advocates of the Republic of Armenia has issued a statement over the recent cases of violations of their rights.
The statement reads that in the course of the past several days Police officers have detained participants of the gatherings held at Khorenatsi Street, near the seized police regiment.
The commission reminds that detained persons have a right to receiving legal assistance as envisaged by relative legislation as well as ensured by professional independence of the advocates.
The advocates refer to the Article 5 of the RA Law on the Profession of the Advocates, stating practice of the profession of advocate shall be a form of advocacy aimed at enforcing, through means and ways not prohibited by law, the legitimate interests of a person receiving legal assistance as well as Article 21, stating the guarantees for practice of the profession by advocates.
According to the provisions of the law, advocates, when practicing their profession, shall act independently and intervention by state officials thereof, political parties, nongovernmental organizations and mass media in the practice of the profession of advocate shall be prohibited.
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The commission recalls reported cases of violation by Police namely keeping detained persons into custody more than three hours. Furthermore, the statement reads that advocates arrived for providing legal assistance were denied an immediate meeting with their clients and were kept waiting for hours.
“Rights protection Commission at the Chamber of Advocates of the Republic of Armenia strictly condemns the practice of unlawful limitation to their professional activities and urges the Police and other state bodies to refrain from the practice of hindrance to the exercise of the advocates’ obligations,” reads the statement, adding that any intervention into the professional activities of the advocates is prohibited under the RA Criminal Code.