Armenian Police ‘Used Unlawful Force against Demonstrators,’ Amnesty International Says
In its annual country report, Amnesty International blasted Armenia’s law enforcement authorities for using “unlawful force” against opposition demonstrators last year in Yerevan.
“The police used unlawful force against demonstrators on several occasions during the protests in April and May calling on the prime minister to resign,” Amnesty International said, referring to protests sparked last year after the demarcation of borders with Azerbaijan that left four Armenian villages under Azerbaijani control.
“On 12 June, police and demonstrators clashed in the center of the capital, Yerevan, during protests against the border demarcation agreement. Some 101 individuals were injured, including 17 police officers, and 98 people were reportedly detained. At least 15 individuals were later charged with hooliganism and violating public order. No law enforcement officers were indicted or charged following an inquiry into the proportionality and legality of the police response,” Amnesty International added.
At the time it was reported that Armenian law enforcement were believed to have used Zarya-3 grenades which are designed, according to their Russian manufacturer, to “temporarily suppress mental stability of armed criminals with acoustic and light effects.”
Armenia’s Health Ministry added them to its list of authorized crowd control equipment only two weeks after the crackdown. Armenian opposition figures and civil society members maintain that the use of Zarya-3 therefore was illegal.
“The protests in April and May were accompanied by reports of increased pressure and harassment against journalists, including insults and threats. The Armenian Committee to Protect Freedom of Expression reported that 14 journalists and media workers were injured while covering the protests, due to targeted attacks as well as the crush of the crowd,” Amnesty International pointed out.
“Some journalists were shoved and pushed to the ground, while others reported being beaten and injured by police officers,” the report added.
Amnesty International also said that Armenian authorities “struggled” to integrate the more than 100,000 displaced Artsakh Armenians who were forced to flee their homeland after Azerbaijan launched a massive attack in September, 2023.
“Housing, employment and education remained particularly difficult for many refugees,” Amnesty International said in its report.
The human rights watchdog also emphasized that the right of the Artsakh Armenian “to a safe and dignified return remains unfulfilled.”
Artsakh Armenians currently exiled in Armenia staged demonstrations last month protesting the Armenian government’s treatment of the forcibly displaced population, accusing Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s regime of fueling hate speech toward them.
The Artsakh Armenians are also unhappy with the government’s decision to cut back on assistance programs that ensured housing, jobs and other necessities for them.
