The process that started on March 31, 2018 with the My Step revolution was a historical change. It gave Armenian citizens the opportunity to express their will through peaceful means. Human Rights Defender of Armenia Arman Tatoyan presented information regarding the 2018 annual report during a session of the National Assembly Committee on Human Rights and Public Affairs.
Tatoyan noted that there were reports of several police violations. “Cases of violence were recorded at police departments. Taking people into custody often took on a superficial nature and violations often took place, such as not proving the individual’s crime,” the Human Rights Defender said.
He stated that, according to several reports, there were police officers wearing civilian clothes during the My Step protests. Police officers need to be in uniform during protests.
According to Arman Tatoyan, it was also problematic that hateful messages filled with threats were being spread on social media using cases of police violations. “Videos were being spread on social media with calls that lowered police officers’ dignity. This is unacceptable and it promotes tension. Fake pages were also spreading calls for violence at the time.”
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