It is not the first time the Police of the Republic of Armenia have reminded Mister Raffi Hovhannisyan and the participants of the meetings being organized by him that there is no right to conduct meetings which demand a preliminary notice addressed to relevant bodies without any notice, to gather in preferable places, give instructions to the police officers, not having that power, and such a right can’t exist in any state, including Armenia. Unfortunately, these warnings were not apprehended by their addressees.
It is several years that the police have taken all the possible efforts to provide the complete freedom of meetings within the scope of the Constitution and laws, as well as to make the atmosphere of peace and interaction between the participants of meetings and police officers take roots. Such an atmosphere is urgent not only for the police or for the authorities, but just for the society itself because it provides security and stability which are urgent for the development of our peaceful and safe life.
On February 23, presidential candidate of the Republic of Armenia Raffi Hovhannisyan conducted meetings in Ashtarak, Aparan, Spitak, Vanadzor and Gyumri cities without a preliminary notice. Tomorrow, again without a preliminary notice, he is going to conduct a meeting on Freedom square, Yerevan city.
The police of the Republic of Armenia emphasize that illegal meetings can lead to an uncontrollable situation, abuse of rights, various offences when it becomes impossible to provide the natural and peaceful course of the meetings.
Taking into account the fact that the meetings organized by Raffi Hovhannisyan directly conflict with freedom of meetings, the police of the Republic of Armenia in order to avoid unallowable developments find it necessary to inform Raffi Hovhannisyan the methods to assert control over the masses, taking into consideration that illegal meetings, illegal calls and instructions not to obey law enforcement authorities, other illegalities during the meetings can be an incitement to a variety of other illegalities and lead to irreversible consequences, depriving the police of the chance to provide the peaceful course of the meetings and maintain public order during them. So the police of the Republic of Armenia express their readiness to discuss the abovementioned issues with Raffi Hovhannisyan and his allies informing them about the possible consequences of such actions.