RIGHTS AND RESTRICTION: ACTIVISTS SAY POLICE BARRICADE IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL
By Gohar Abrahamyan
ArmeniaNow
28.10.11 | 14:48
Human rights defense organizations say that a barricade by police
against parents of soldiers who died in non-combat conditions in the
army, as well as the ‘Army in Reality’ civil group activists at the
Government Building on Thursday is violation of citizens’ right to
free movement.
During the recurrent government session, on orders of Armenia’s Police
Chief Alik Sargsyan police blocked all ways leading to the building
number one, depriving the participants of the weekly pickets to bring
their voice to the government’s notice.
Sona Ayvazyan, representative of Transparency International
anti-corruption center, says that the realization of freedom of
citizens’ meetings is confirmed by the Constitution, and the State
must guarantee that freedom.
“One can suppose that the Police Chief may have a different mood every
week, and the action of police officers against demonstrators will
depend on his mood, and will be unforeseeable for demonstrators,”
Ayvazyan says.
Arthur Sakunts, Head of Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Vanadzor Office,
believes that the steps taken by the Police show the State’s ill-will
towards public initiatives.
“They [the Police] are interested not in multi-sided and objective
examination of the cases connected with the non-combat deaths in the
army, or what to do in order to fight against crimes committed by the
armed forces, but they are rather concerned how long our campaigns
will continue and what they will result in,” Sakunts says.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Disclaimer: This article was contributed and translated into English by Emil Lazarian. While we strive for quality, the views and accuracy of the content remain the responsibility of the contributor. Please verify all facts independently before reposting or citing.
Direct link to this article: https://www.armenianclub.com/2011/10/29/rights-and-restriction-activists-say-police-barricade-is-unconstitu/
