Expert warns of brazen human rights violations at protests in Armenia
Human rights expert Araks Melkonyan expressed concern over glaring violations of human rights at anti-government protests in Armenia.
“The human rights situation in Armenia is problematic, to put it mildly. This year we saw an outbreak of violence against participants of rallies, which was poorly investigated,” she told a debate on Tuesday.
Melkonyan, who heads the Protection of Rights Without Borders NGO, pointed to the crackdown on protesters outside the Armenian parliament in Yerevan on June 12, which left dozens injured.
“No police officer has been charged over brazen acts of violence against protesters,” she underlined.
The expert also reported a major setback for freedom of information.
“The Interior Ministry refused to say what special measures were used on June 12, ignoring requests for information from reporters and human rights NGOs. Whereas, such information was provided previously,” she added.