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Matteo Mecacci, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), has replied to a letter addressed by Taguhi Tovmasyan, an MP from the opposition With Honor (Pativ Unem) bloc who heads the National Assembly Standing Committee on Protection of Human Rights and Public Affairs, concerning the use of force against opposition protesters in Yerevan.

“With a regular letter from May 2, I informed Mr. Matteo Mecacci, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, about the police operations against our citizens exercising their constitutional right to peaceful assembly and the violations of human rights. I alarmed that the police were literally beating the citizens of the Republic of Armenia, unfortunately there were injured protestors, also a bruise was reported. Journalist Lia Sargsyan lost her consciousness during the police crackdown and there were other injured journalists, which is really unacceptable,” Tovmasyan said in a statement on Tuesday.

“I requested Mr. Mecacci to respond to the retreat of democracy in Armenia. According to the reply letter, freedom of peaceful assembly is a key component of the OSCE’s human dimension commitments and is guaranteed by a number of international and regional human rights treaties. Law enforcement must always aim to facilitate assemblies through dialogue, negotiation and other forms of communication. The use of force should always be a last resort and must always be lawful, necessary and proportionate to the circumstances,” the MP noted.

“In line with its mandate, ODIHR monitors the respect of the right to freedom of peaceful assembly in the OSCE region, and will continue to observe relevant developments in Armenia. ODIHR values its co-operation with the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia, and we are grateful for any relevant information that you provide,” Mecacci concluded.