THE POLICE TAKE RESPONSIBILITY TO RESPECT HUMAN RIGHTS

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07:02 pm 21 March, 2006

“The law foresees punishment for the police in cases of torture
and violation of human rights as well as for the cruel attitude
and the insulting cases of human dignity,” this is a quotation from
the bill concerning the changes and additions on the RA “Law on the
Police.” The secretary of the “Justice” fraction Victor Dallakyan
liked this quotation and reminded the “barbarous events” which took
place on the night of April 13 on Baghramyan Avenue, he also gave the
names of the journalists who were tortured by the police and informed
that nobody was punished for that “ferocity”.

The police general Ararat Mahtesyan answered that remark and said
that the police acted in the “realm of the law.” He claimed that
they had warned the protestants twice to open the way and not to hold
the traffic. “Yes, at 2 a.m. they wanted to open the streets for the
schoolchildren,” said Victor Dallakyan.

In the bill concerning the changes of the “Law on the Police” the
actions of the police are firmly stated.

There are many interesting formations in the bill which may sound
exotic to us, for instance, “While realizing their duties the police
must be guided by the necessity to protect human and citizens’
rights stated in the RA Constitution, by the principle of egality,
by the regular realization of liabilities. It may also pursuit other
purposes stated by the law.”

The deputy of the “Justice” fraction Tatul Manaseryan mentioned that
the necessity of equality is firmly stated in the law but there
is nothing mentioned about the means of punishment. For example,
let’s take Demirtjan Street where the dwellers can’t rest the whole
day because of the noise made by the cars of the president’s guard
especially the signaling after the midnight. “The president of the
country, whoever it may be, must obey the law,” reminded Tatul
Manaseryan and added that the foreign citizens are also equally
responsible in front of the law who seem to be privileged in our
society. The deputy brought the example of the Embassy cars mentioning
that the inspectors turn pale seeing them. “Today our inspectors learn
how to behave while stopping diplomatic cars in the presence of the
Ambassadors or other officials.” By the way, in Article 5 of the “Law
on the Police” it is written ,”The police must give a chance to people
under custody to use their right of lawyer’s service and must inform
their relatives about their arrest within 3 hours from the moment of
taking them to the police station.” Victor Dallakyan was a little
concerned by the idea of keeping the citizen in the police station
for 3 hours. As for Mahtesyan he thought that they can’t inform the
relatives in 3 hours as they may face the “problem of the telephone.”

Let’s mention that during the discussion of such a vital matter there
were only 8 deputies present in the hall.