Abduction of Suren Petrosyan
Suren Petrosyan, one of the founders of the Tavush for the Homeland movement, has been abducted.
According to eyewitnesses, four individuals in civilian clothes took him in an unknown direction.
Organized Crime Replaces Police in ArmeniaInstead of the police, an organized criminal group has started to operate openly in Armenia. It acts under the illegal orders of the regime’s leader, aiming solely to terrorize and torture peaceful demonstrators. Due to the brutal and disproportionate use of force by the police, dozens of citizens have sustained bodily injuries, including amputations.
Peaceful Demonstration Led by Archbishop BagratOn June 12, Archbishop Bagrat, the leader of the “Tavush for the Homeland” movement, held a peaceful demonstration in front of the National Assembly building. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan was also present in the National Assembly building at the time. Responding to journalists’ questions about the disproportionate violence used by the police, he indirectly instructed the police to again use brutal and disproportionate force against the peaceful and unarmed demonstrators.
Heavy Police Presence and BrutalityThe number of police officers on Baghramyan and Demirchyan streets was in the thousands. A large number of police resources were brought from the provinces. These included police officers involved in operational service within police departments and a significant number of police troops, particularly the special forces battalion known for their brutality, the so-called “red berets.”
Violations of Free Movement and Legal DemandsDuring the demonstration, Archbishop Bagrat once again declared that by closing the entrance to Demirchyan Street at the intersection of Baghramyan and Demirchyan streets, the right to free movement was being violated. He made a legal demand to open Demirchyan Street and not obstruct the march of the demonstrators. In response to this demand, the police provoked violence by using plain clothed policemen. They were spotted by the crowd and were seen throwing water bottles at the police and quickly disappearing into the crowd. Several violent scuffles and shoving matches occurred, and after a group of demonstrators entered the adjacent park to prevent other demonstrators from being brutally beaten by the “red berets,” the police began using stun grenades and simultaneously attacked the crowd once again using disproportionate force against the peaceful demonstrators.
Medical Assistance and InjuriesMore than fifty demonstrators sought medical help for various bodily injuries. Journalist and political scientist Abraham Gasparyan, director of the Genesis Armenia Foundation, had his face covered in blood and his clothes torn. He was diagnosed with a concussion and multiple soft tissue injuries at the hospital. Another demonstrator had their wrist amputated, and another suffered a fractured thigh. Many demonstrators have suffered injuries to their heads, arms, legs, and other parts of their bodies. There is video footage showing how citizens were injured by the explosions of stun grenades.Disproportionate Use of Force and Legal ViolationsDuring the use of excessive and disproportionate means, the shield-bearing police line was broken, and special police forces stormed into the demonstrators, beating and cursing them while making arrests. Among those detained was priest Father Samvel.
The police’s brutal and disproportionate use of force on June 12 contradicts Article 20 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which guarantees everyone’s right to peaceful assembly and association. It also violates Article 21 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which guarantees the right to participate in the governance of one’s country, including through peaceful assembly. Additionally, it breaches Article 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which establishes the right to peaceful assembly, and Principle 1 of the OSCE Guidelines on Freedom of Peaceful Assembly, which prohibits law enforcement from using force against peaceful assemblies. Furthermore, it contradicts Article 44 of the Constitution of Armenia, which again guarantees the freedom of assembly. The police were obligated to provide proper notification of the reasons for using special means. Police Chief Aram Hovhannisyan organized the violence against citizens on-site. Dozens of videos and hundreds of photographs attest to the fact that the police gangs brutally detained, beat, and cursed the demonstrators, including using special means against citizens and journalists in police vehicles.
Escape of Prime Minister PashinyanTaking advantage of the chaos created by the use of special means, Nikol Pashinyan hurriedly left the National Assembly under the protection of a large number of bodyguards. Neither he nor his fellow parliamentarians dared to accept Archbishop Bagrat’s proposal to enter the National Assembly building alone and meet with all representatives of the authorities, including all parliament members and government officials. Upon learning that after leaving the National Assembly, Nikol Pashinyan had gone to the government building, the demonstrators moved there to present their demand for his resignation on the spot. However, upon reaching the government building, it became clear that Pashinyan had once again fled.
