David Stepanyan, Yerevan. Exclusively to Vestnik Kavkaza
A mass protest of young people against the police took place in Yerevan. Human rights activists, social and civil activists demanded that the head of the police, Vladimir Gasparyan, bring to account policemen who pressured and beat young activists and insulted women who participated in protests against the authorities. The participants in the protest addressed Gasparyan: “Stop licking the oligarchs’ boots!” and “Read the law instead of a prayer.”
Armenian youth have been becoming active since the beginning of last year, but real force was gained by the movement after the increase in public transport ticket prices in Yerevan and the beginning of the construction of an elite 14-storey residential complex, against which residents of the neighborhood protested. However, Yerevan Mayor Taron Markaryan has already stated that “the construction matches all city-planning norms, and it should be built.” According to Mayor, demands by young people to dismiss the head of the capital transport department, Henry Navasardyan, and the director of YerevanTrans, Misak Ambartsumyan, cannot be fulfilled. On August 24 more than 40 activists were arrested.
People are accused of “disobeying the legal demands of the police,” which are not clear even for policemen. The police cannot explain what laws have actually been broken by participants of protests. The only traditional excuse of the police is “we were told and we did it.”
After the cruel beating of one of the activists, journalist Argishti Kiviryan, by three policemen, a criminal case was initiated against him for “using force against a representative of power.” The reason for the initiation was a report by a policeman, according to which the journalist “insulted him and punched him, sitting in the police car.” However, there is a video recording on the Armenian internet, which shows that the policemen beat Kiviryan.
Considering that, the protesters sent a request to the General Prosecution Service to provide the right to peaceful meetings, find out and bring to account provocateurs, provide control over implementation of human rights and initiate criminal cases against policemen who violate the law. According to the human right activist Arthur Sakunz, in the context of intensification of civil movements, the police stopped differentiating between victims of lawlessness and criminals, and actually defend real criminals. Arrests of activists are described by Sakunz as “kidnapping”, as the police have no legal reasons for them.
Civil disobedience to illegal decisions of officials seems quite legal. Considering the fact that the peaceful protests are not directed against policemen, the police have to show tolerance and not use force. All recent events confirm that the threat of using force against protesting young people is a political decision of the ruling oligarchic regime. However, the resolve of the young people to fight for their rights means that even a police baton cannot stop further development of civil movements and disobedience of the illegal decisions made by the authorities.
