A N N O U N C E M E N T

The authorized representative of Mayor of Yerevan city on 08.09.2015 took into account the route of march of "Voch talanin" initiatives members to be organized on September 11, 2015 at 18.00 to 23.00 on «Freedom Square» and from 19.30 from «Freedom Square» to Sayat-Nova Avenue - Abovyan Street - Republic Square - Amiryan street - Mashtots Avenue – «Freedom Square». However, the rally organizers and participants, violating the mentioned route and without maintenance procedures prescribed by the Laws of the Republic of Armenia on "Freedom of Assembly" conducted an illegal march towards Baghramyan Avenue, completely blocking the traffic.
Currently, participants and organizers of the rally, ignoring warnings of police to release spot for traffic on Baghramyan Avenue are continuing to keep blocked the main transport artery of the capital.
The police declares that any form of the right to freedom of assembly must conform to the Constitution of the RA, to the law of the RA on "Freedom of Assembly" and other legal acts.
The right to freedom of assembly does not have and can not have an absolute nature and democratic society can be limited in the interest of public order or constitutional rights and freedoms of others, including ensuring regular traffic. These limitations refer directly to peaceful assembly and derived from the Article 43 of the Constitution of the RA and provisions of Article 5 of the law of the RA on "Freedom of Assembly".
In order to avoid misunderstandings among the participants of the assembly and the public, Police of the RA finds necessary to emphasize that regularly spreading allegations that the peaceful assembly has an absolute nature and will never be banned or terminated have no legal basis.
Police of the RA states that the carried out march towards Baghramyan Avenue, as well as the continued blocking of its traffic part is illegal, as it disproportionately undermines the public interest. In addition, the police find necessary to underline that the assembly organized in Baghramyan Avenue is not a spontaneous one, as the authorized body has enough data on its pre-organized nature.
Pursuant to RA law on ''Freedom of assemblies'', in particular Article 14, part 2, point 2: an assembly including the peaceful one has its beginning and termination, thus it should have a temporary nature. At the same time the satisfaction of the demand raised during the assembly does not include in the content of the right to freedom of assembly.
Based on the above facts and given legal assessment, the police states, that despite the illegal nature of the activities, the police of the RA attaches the importance to the fact that the rally organizers and participants need to have enough time to raise their demands, as well as time to represent them to the public, competent authorities and officials. Therefore, police provides six (6) hours to the organizers and participants of the illegal meeting to express their demands until September 12, 2015 05:00 a.m., eliminate unlawful blocking of Baghramyan Avenue with the condition that the assembly will be peaceful in nature.

Police of the Republic of Armenia