Epress.am News from Armenia
A study conducted by Armenia's Helsinki Committee revealed that law enforcement officers were disproportionately present during 126 peaceful assemblies in Armenia's cities of Yerevan (115), Gyumri (3) and Vanadzor (8) over the period July 6, 2015, to June 30, 2016. In 20 of the cases, the number of police officers even exceeded that of protesters and demonstrators, a report published by the human rights NGO Monday said, stating that the disproportionately large number of police officers during rallies could be classified as a violation law.
The report stressed that much like in previous years, the number of police officers and equipment was conditioned not by the number of demonstrators, but by the nature of the rally, its organizers and the venue: study results showed that the majority of the observed assemblies were politically motivated, while those that were set to take place outside the presidential residence in Yerevan were subjected to especially harsh police action.
“Law enforcement officers almost always intervened during these rallies and on several occasions even prevented them from happening,” the report said, adding that police also illegally detained many protesters to restrict their participation in subsequent rallies or to hamper their future activities.