HRW calls on Armenian authorities to punish those responsible for violent dispersal of protesters

The international organization "Human Rights Watch" (HRW) has urged the authorities of Armenia to punish those responsible for the use of force to disperse demonstrators in Bagramyan Avenue in Yerevan on June 23. Rights defenders have called the police to conduct a transparent investigation into the incident.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that mass protests began in Armenia on June 19, after the decision was made to increase the electricity tariff. At night on June 23, the police squeezed the protesters from Bagramyan Avenue in Yerevan. Activists reported 25 victims of the dispersal.

On July 3, the Special Investigating Service of Armenia stated that excessive force was used against protesters; and that a criminal case was opened. On June 25, Vladimir Gasparyan, the head of the Armenian Police, told about the investigation of the actions of the policemen, who used force to disperse the rally. On July 13, the press service of the Armenian Police informed that as a result of the investigation 12 participants of the dispersal were punished from a reprimand to a disciplinary punishment; however, none of them was fired from the police.

The HRW condemns the use of brute force against activists, when many of them were beaten, arrested, while journalists; equipment was broken, said Rachel Denver, the deputy head of the HRW, dealing with Europe and Central Asia.

According to her story, the public should assess the disciplinary punishments awarded to the policemen, who had broken the norms of professional ethics during the dispersal of activists.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.