Raffi Hovhannisyan’s meetings with the residents of Dilijan and Ijevan yesterday were filmed from all sides more than ever before. This is not about the mass media coverage; this is about the cameramen in police uniforms and civilian attire. By the way, as in many other regions, it was obvious that the police officers were particularly interested and filmed the
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faces of those present at the meeting and the license plates of the cars parked in the vicinity. www.aravot.am asked one of the police officers to explain why and for what reason they were filming the residents who had come to the rally one by one. The police officer’s answer was astounding, “There is N151-Ն decision of the Cabinet.” In response to our surprised question whether there was a decision of the Cabinet allowing him to film people’s faces, the police officer said: “Absolutely.” Let us note that the above-mentioned decision of the Cabinet was adopted in 2007 when Andranik Margaryan was the Prime Minister. That decision just confirmed the Patrol Police Code, and in its appendix, it is clarified that police officers can use video cameras while on duty at massive events. However, it doesn’t suggest in any way that police officers must film the faces of the guests at the event and the cars parked in the vicinity. “Those who don’t leave their rooms try to spread their fear to you. Good for you! You have granted us a victory,” Styopa Safaryan, the secretary general of the Heritage Party, said during the meeting with the residents of Ijevan. Seeing the police officers who were filming with 5-6 video cameras in the vicinity, Styopa Safaryan said: “Don’t humiliate them, let them do the duties they are required to do. They are not directors, nor are they TV series cameramen, nor are they artists. You ought to be ashamed; respect your shoulder straps! Respect your, officers’, honor code! Don’t allow them to humiliate you so much! Follow the example of your compatriots, these brave residents of Ijevan, because you also want to live in a free country. Rid yourselves of those fears! Rid yourselves of those illegal orders!” He called on the police officers to join the movement led by Raffi Hovhannisyan.
Hripsime JEBEJYAN
