Path of Law

REPORT ON A CRIME: THE UNLAWFUL DEPRIVATION OF LIBERTY OF THE RA JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT’S STAFF

Studying the video released in the media on May 20, ”Path of Law” NGO reported on the crime of the activist Jivan Abrahamyan and several other unidentified persons illegally deprivating the liberty of RA Judicial Department’s employees (Article 133 of the Criminal Code) and self- willed (Article 322 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia) through the “operation” of blocking the entrances of the courts.

See the full report on the crime below.

“On May 20, 2019, Analitik.am website posted a video (https://analitik.am/news/view/480851 ) depicting how a group of individuals  on that same day deprive the liberty of the Head of the Judicial Departament of RA, and then of some other citizens, presumably the staff of that Judicial Department. The video surveillance shows that a group of civilians actually prohibit these individuals from leaving the closed area, blocking the possible exit for 48 minutes and 18 seconds. The criminal intent of the mentioned persons is obvious in the following parts of the video:

1) “Please don’t go forward, it is closed here” (4 min, 11 sec);

2) “It’s our job not to let any worker out, and that’s it” (6 min, 7 sec);

3) “Anna jan, see how right it was for us to come;  if we hadn’t come, someone would have run away” (8 min, 02 sec);

4) “We’re holding them here” (16 mins, 10 sec);

5) “Yes, close it guys, close this wall completely” (43 min, 24 sec).

Besides, it is clear from the video that the right of the above-mentioned persons to move freely has been restricted against their will; in particular, the passages cited below show that the Head of the Judicial Department and the Judicial Department staff expressed their will to leave the area but were not allowed to do so. So:

1) “When we were blocking the road, wasn’t  that a hindrance, if you were telling us to open? Open the way, let me go”.

2) “Just a minute.We don’t let you. The Prime Minister didn’t say you are free, no brother, you must stay here, no, go back. I want you to stay here. We’ll let you out when the prime minister says it. People, don’t let them out” (38 min, 40 sec).

3) “No, don’t go forward, go back, no, you can’t go, you just have to stay here, so that others see from where they want to leave, to know what steps we are capable of ” (41 min, 41 sec).

It is also a noteworthy fact,  that the citizens blocking the possible exit realized that there was no other exit in the area and that the people blocked inside could not otherwise leave it; in particular, they are shooting the area, showing that there is no other way out. Hereby:

1) “I just don’t understand how these people.. from the window would be too hard… where did you get out from?” (43 min, 44 sec).

Activist Jivan Abrahamyan is playing an active role in the described criminal actions (he appears in the video starting from 9th minute, 45th second).

We find that in the facts described above, there are attributes of crime prescribed by Article 133 (2) and (6) (unlawful deprivation of liberty) and Article 322 (1) (self- willed) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia,and therefore we ask you to initiate a criminal case, as required by law, identify all those who committed the crime and ensure their criminal responsibility”.