STATEMENT OF POLICE OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA

The organizers of the assembly held in Azatutyan square on December 4, 2015, continued their provocative behavior of recent days, instigating clashes with Police, and once again they initiated and carried out a number of actions violating the clear and concrete requirements of the law clarified to them in advance.
In particular, in defiance of the position taken up by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Armenia and Yerevan Municipality, various warnings issued by Police of the Republic of Armenia, Zhirayr Sefilyan instructed to put up a tent in Azatutyan square, the legitimate preventive steps taken by police officers led to unjustified escalation and scuffles, during which Raffi Hovhannisyan tried to hinder police officers from carrying out their legitimate actions.
Besides, calling on the assembly participants to start a march, assembly organizer Varuzhan Avetisyan defied the legitimate demands of the representatives of Police of the Republic of Armenia and refused to notice the Police about the route of the march, stating that he is ready to be held liable for any violation he committed.
Later it was established that the assembly organizers deviated from the route specified in the notice given in advance and were moving towards the Central Electoral Commission of the Republic of Armenia. Moreover, during the assembly held on the same day the organizers made numerous appeals having no connections with the RA law “On freedom of assemblies” and calling on to various actions containing features of law infringement, in particular, appeals were made to “block the streets”, “surround buildings”, “visit state structures” and etc.
Police of the Republic of Armenia, adhering to its course of action based on the principles of tolerance and proportionality, is once again calling on the assembly organizers to respect the Constitution and laws of the Republic of Armenia, refrain from adventurous activities, concealing direct violations of law behind the display of civil disobedience and disseminating unaccountable statements.
Such behavior constitutes a threat of disproportionate restrictions of public interests and other people’s constitutional rights, threatens the security of assembly participants and police officers.
Police of the Republic of Armenia has petitioned Yerevan Municipality to start an administrative proceeding against the organizers of the illegal (violating the noticing terms and conditions) march.