Category: 2022

ArmInfo.. As a result of the monitoring conducted by the Office of the Human Rights Defender of Armenia, a number of violations were revealed by representatives of law enforcement agencies during the detention of participants in opposition protest  actions that took place on May 3 and May 4.

According to the press service of the Armenian Human Rights  Defender’s Office, its employees provided advisory assistance to 32  detainees, registering violations by the Police. Cases of violations  of fundamental human rights were identified, including cases of  forcible identification of people through unauthorized access to  personal data – mobile phones. The defenders specifically warned the  Police about the inadmissibility of such unlawful measures that  grossly violate the fundamental rights of citizens. These rights,  emphasized in the Office, have priority importance before police  officers carry out their duties and police officers must refrain from  committing obvious violations of these rights.

Also, cases of disproportionate physical force were again recorded.  In particular, in personal conversations with persons taken to the  Nor Nork Police Department, it was recorded that during the arrest,  police officers used violence against the detainees, inflicting  physical injuries on the mind, using swearing. The police pushed the  detainees, dragged them along the ground, roughly pushing them into  police cars. Misbehavior of police officers was also noted.

It is noted that the Office of the Human Rights Defender intends to  consistently conduct a detailed investigation of each of the  registered violations.

At the same time, the monitoring of the media and social networks  conducted by the Office of the Human Rights Defender revealed  manifestations of intolerant and offensive behavior towards the  Police officers themselves. 

ArmInfo.he European People’s Party (EPP) concerned by the high number of detentions and acts of force against peaceful protesters in Armenia and condemn  disproportionate use of force against journalists, the EPP’s Twitter  reads.  

“We are concerned by the high number of detentions and acts of force  against peaceful protesters in Armenia and condemn disproportionate  use of force against journalists.

“We call on the Armenian authorities to ensure the fundamental  freedom of peaceful assembly and to refrain from any abuse of  law-enforcement power.

“Sustainable peace and security are of upmost importance for Armenia,  the South Caucasus region, including NagornoKarabakh, and we welcome  the EU-mediated efforts to seek peace in the region and urge all  sides to contribute,” the message reads. 

Since May 1, the Resistance Movement has held protests in Armenia,  demanding the resignation of the team led by Prime Minister Nikol  Pashinyan.

ArmInfo.No serious global geopolitical actor is discontent with Armenian Premier Nikol Pashinyan’s foreign policy, the political analyst Armen Hovhannisyan  said in an interview with ArmInfo. 

“In this context, I do not see any reasons for redrawing up a foreign  policy agenda and for replacing yielding Pashinyan with one even more  yielding, including in the relations with Russia our parliamentary  opposition forces have fixed their eyes on in hope. It is common  knowledge. And it affects the prospects for success of the opposition  marches throughout Armenia,” Mr Hovsepyan said.  

The 30-point joint statement signed during the Armenian premier’s  visit to Moscow is nothing but one more proof. And by condemning the  NATO expansion the Armenian premier became the second leader, after  President Lukashenko, to show an eccentric approach to this global  political issue.  

The Armenian premier’s steps are met with silence on the part of even  the states that have traditionally voted for Russia at different  international organizations. Lukashenko and, for some reasons,  Pashinyan are the only ones that are openly stating their positions,  with Pashinyan signing a joint 30-point statement with Putin.

In any case, signing a peace agreement – as it is being viewed in  Baku, Ankara and now in Moscow – with Azerbaijan will by no means  raise Pashinyan’s popularity rating, which, among other things, is in  Russia’s interests, as it will enable Russia to “lead him by the  nose.”  

Thus, the protests by the parliamentary opposition are, on the one  hand, are kind of guarantee Armenia’s premier will go on being “led”  to signing the previously reached verbal agreements. On the other  hand, it is an attempt to fill the “opposition vacuum,” as, “in the  context of its dislike for color revolutions, Russia’s leadership  has, so to say, to take preventive measures in the regions under its  influence from time to time,” Mr Hovhannisyan said.

ArmInfo.The conclusion of a peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan means that it is necessary to find a solution to the Karabakh conflict, which we see  in ensuring the security and rights of the people of Artsakh, on the  basis of which the status should be determined. Secretary of the  Security Council of Armenia

Armen Grigoryan stated this during a  briefing on May 5, answering a question from journalists whether the  signing of a peace treaty does not mean the withdrawal of Russian  peacekeepers from Artsakh and the transfer of the rest of Artsakh to  Azerbaijan.

At the same time, he noted that international security guarantees  should be defined. “We don’t know what the guarantees will be from an  institutional point of view. All this will be decided in the course  of negotiations. And if we see that the safety of our citizens will  be ensured, then we will give consent>, he said.

The Secretary of the Security Council also touched upon the 5 points  proposed by Azerbaijan on the peace treaty, which were supplemented  by 6 points from the Armenian side. “Our approach is to combine the  two packages of <5+6> proposals and start negotiations around a peace  agreement,” he said.

At the same time, Grigoryan stressed that Armenia and Azerbaijan, as  well as international partners, have mutual understanding around the  approach of combining <5+6> packages.