OSCE, EU, US Embassy in Armenia Concerned with Excessive Police Use of Force

Dunja Mijatovic, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media.

The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović on June 23, said that the safety of journalists must be ensured at all times, following actions by police against journalists covering the electricity protest it in Yerevan, Armenia.

“Media has the right to cover public events and journalists must be able to report in a free and safe manner, without fear of harassment and intimidation,” Mijatović said.

In the early morning hours of June 23,  journalists from various media outlets were physically attacked, mistreated, verbally assaulted and detained by police while covering the demonstration in Yerevan. Some journalists also had their equipment damaged or seized.

“I call on the authorities to promptly investigate these incidents and take steps to ensure restraint on the part of law enforcement representatives toward members of the media,” Mijatović said.

Earlier, the US Embassy in Armenia issued a statement about the heavy-handed police actions. Below is the full text of that statement:

“We were encouraged by the responsible and generally respectful behavior by both protesters and police on the evening of June 22 during the protests over the planned rise in electricity prices.  Freedom of speech and assembly are fundamental rights in any democracy, and we were pleased to see both sides work in a manner that respected these rights and did not escalate tensions.

However, we are concerned about reports of excessive police use of force to disperse the crowd on the morning of June 23, as well as several reports of abuse while in police custody.  In addition, we are troubled by reports that journalists and their equipment were specifically targeted during the operation.  It is imperative that the Government conduct a full and transparent investigation of reports of the excessive use of force by the police to the full extent of Armenian law.”

Dirk Lorenz, Acting Head of the EU Delegation in Armenia also issued  the following statement:

"We have followed closely the recent clashes between protestors and police in Armenia in the context of major discontent over the increase of the electricity price.

Reports about excessive use of force against a peaceful rally, as well as on violence directed against journalists are alarming. It is important to ensure an impartial investigation of these events and to immediately release the detained peaceful protestors. A genuine dialogue between authorities and the civil society is the only way to overcome tough and unpopular economic decisions."

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Citizens launched a three-day sit-in on June 19 at Liberty Square following a decision by the the Public Services Regulatory Commission (PSRC) to increase electricity tariffs by approximately 7AMD/kWh on June 17.

On the evening of June 22, after their demands were not met, the protesters marched to the Presidential Palace located on Baghramyan Avenue.

They were warned by Yerevan’s Deputy Police Chief Valeri Osipyan that their march was illegal and that they would be met by police resistance. Not heeding the Police Chief’s admonitions, the demonstrators began walking toward the Presidential Palace where they were met with riot police who had blocked Baghramyan.

Security forces were out in full force along with water canons and other machinery. Faced with the heavy police presence, organizers of the protest decided to continue their sit-in on Baghramyan Avenue.

The mass protest lasted till early morning when riot police began moving towards the crowd using water cannons and batons to disperse protesters. It appears that 237 people are currently being detained in different police stations throughout the city.