STATEMENT CONDEMNING VIOLENCE AND EXCESSIVE FORCE AGAINST PARTICIPANTS OF A PEACEFUL ASSEMBLY ON JUNE 12, 2024 IN YEREVAN
“The A.D. Sakharov Armenian Human Rights Protection Centre” NGO strongly condemns the clash between the police and the participants of the assembly, accompanied by violence and other illegal actions, during a peaceful assembly organised by the “Tavush for the Motherland” movement on June 12 of this year.
The police, without warning, used special measures and sonic grenades against the unarmed participants of the peaceful meeting, because of which dozens of peaceful participants, journalists and camera operators were seriously injured.
The Organization considers inadmissible the use of beatings, other manifestations of violence, special or any measures harmful to a person’s health during peaceful gatherings or protests, considering the fact that children and pregnant women are also present during these assemblies.
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We also consider it necessary to remind that the positive obligation of the State is to ensure the freedom of assembly of people defined by Article 44 of the RA Constitution and international treaties, the right to organize and participate in the assembly, as well as to ensure proportionality when choosing measures to restrict personal rights and fundamental freedoms.
Meanwhile, on June 12, sonic grenades were used against the participants of a peaceful assembly, which are extremely dangerous for human health (the sound pressure level of the “Zarya 3” sonic grenade at 10 meters is 160±15 decibels, the sound pressure of which can burst the eardrum or cause barotraumas, even fainting). Even after the application, the Police did not consider it necessary to present a public justification to the public as to why it chose and went to that extreme step, which according to the participants of the peaceful assembly, was not necessary.
The police was obliged to remove from the place of the gathering those people who violated the peaceful and normal course of the assembly, as well as to remove from its ranks the “policemen” in civilian uniform who were showing provocative behaviour and straining the situation.
We also condemn the police’s targeting of press representatives performing their professional work and duties during mass events, and their behaviour of showing a differentiated approach during the use of special measures.
In reality, the assemblies of the “Tavush for the Motherland” movement were peaceful, and according to the RA law “On Freedom of Assembly”, if the assembly is peaceful, then the police are obliged to support the assembly within their powers.
Thus, the RA Government must be consistent with any case of violation of fundamental human rights and immediately reveal and give criminal assessment to every case of such disproportionate use of force by police officers against the participants of the peaceful assembly and mass media employees on June 12, regardless of their rank and position.
The police are obliged to immediately hold a press conference and report to the public the legal and professional justifications for the proportionality of their actions and the necessity of using disproportionate force on June 12.
“The A.D. Sakharov Armenian Human Rights Protection Centre” NGO
