“Since this incident is entirely recorded and after analyzing all the facts, this reaction is also definite for me. Everything is clear,” – said attorney Tigran Hayrapetyan in an interview with Aravot.am referring to the statement issued by the Human Rights Watch regarding to Gevorg Safaryan’s arrest and detention. Note that Tigran Hayrapetyan is the defense attorney of “New Armenia” initiative member, Gevorg Safaryan. The latter was arrested on suspicion of an act of violence against a police officer on New Year’s night. On January 3, the court appointed custody against him as a preventive measure.
This prestigious international human rights organization believes that keeping Gevorg Safaryan in custody for two months is disproportionate, given the lack of evidence that would prove that he is a real danger to the investigation. “The reaction of this human rights organization was appropriate,” says Tigran Hayrapetyan adding that the observation is also important that many police officers from the protesters were keeping a public order and it leaves an impression that the police officers can use pressure and violence at any moment, or are creating unnecessary tension, “Especially when it was an authorized rally and the police officers should not ill-treat during the authorized rally: so many police officers and so many unclear actions by the police. The statement of the Human Rights Watch reads also bewilderment between the lines that people wearing tree costumes have not allowed the police to enter the square. In other words, there was no incident, no one has threatened the public order, no one’s constitutional rights were violated. The police that refers to the fact that it was prohibited, there should be a note: a letter or some kind of an order. There is nothing. In this case, naturally, all the police actions are illegal and the Human Rights Watch understands it very well.”
Tigran Hayrapetyan says that the Human Rights Watch has indicated the posture, which many people during these years are trying to prove at the courts. He hopes that this posture by the prestigious international organization will be an additional impetus for our judicial instances to show more serious attitude.
Nelly GRIGORYAN
