Rally in Yerevan demands to ensure peaceful protest actions

Law enforcement bodies of Armenia must ensure peaceful protest actions and initiate criminal proceedings against the policemen who used force to protesters. This is stated in the letter adopted by the participants of the today's rally against police lawlessness in Yerevan and addressed to the country's General Public Prosecutor.

The pretext for the today's rally, which was held first at the building of Yerevan Police and then at the General Prosecutor's Office and brought together about 200 people, was the detention on August 24 of 27 protesters against the construction of elite houses at No. 5 in Komitas Avenue.

Levon Barsegyan, the chairman of the Gyumri-based Journalists' Club "Asparez", who took part in the rally, said that he believed it permissible to respond to policemen's violence by the same.

Paitsar Avetisyan, another participant of the rally, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that Armenian authorities should be "happy with the enthusiasm of our young people who are struggling for their rights" and "build a prosperous country" by relying on the youth.

However, Valery Osipyan, the Deputy Head of the Police of Yerevan, has explained that the position of law enforcement authorities, who are ready to use force against participants of actions, is within the current law "On the Police".

He added that "the case of the protest against the construction of the building at No. 5 Komitas Avenue was well suited for use of special means by the police."

Mr Osipyan has noted that attempts to block the traffic are violations of public order, since it impedes the free movement of other citizens.