Path of Law

Statement on police violence against human rights activist Mr. Ruben Melikyan

Today, in the afternoon, human rights activist Ruben Melikyan, who was conducting monitoring of the right to freedom of peaceful assembly, was forcefully arrested near the administrative building of the National Security Service. Ruben Melikyan was providing legal clarifications to the participants of the peaceful assembly on their rights. This was followed by his unlawful arrest, as a result of which he was injured (the video of the incident can be found at the following link: https://www.facebook.com/officialparatv/videos/550106332348355). “Path of Law” human rights NGO strongly condemns the illegal actions of the police, the objective of which is to suspend the exercise of the right to freedom of assembly guaranteed by the Constitution and laws in Armenia and to deprive from legal protection those who have been subjected to unlawful restrictions of their right to freedom of assembly. We call for an immediate end to the unlawful restrictions of the right to freedom of assembly and for the prosecution of police officers who have committed illegal acts. Meanwhile, we call on representatives of foreign countries, as well as international organizations accredited in Armenia, particularly, the EU delegation in Armenia, Embassies of EU member states and the US Embassy, to adhere to their public commitment towards the protection of the rule of law and democratic values and to adequately respond to the committed violations.