Agence France Presse — English
February 25, 2009 Wednesday 9:31 AM GMT

Armenia used ‘excessive force’ during deadly riots: HRW

YEREVAN, Feb 25 2009

A leading rights group called on Armenia Wednesday to investigate the
use of "excessive force" by police during clashes with anti-government
protesters a year ago that left 10 people dead.

New York-based Human Rights Watch said it had also documented cases of
police abuse of those detained during the clashes, including beatings,
threats and refusals to provide legal representation.

The group urged Armenian authorities to prosecute both individual
police officers and those who ordered the use of excessive force.

"While the Armenian authorities have investigated, prosecuted and
convicted dozens of opposition members, sometimes in flawed and
politically motivated trials… they have not prosecuted a single
representative of the law enforcement agencies for excessive use of
force," the group said in a statement.

Thousands of supporters of former Armenian president Levon
Ter-Petrosian rallied for 11 days to denounce President Serzh
Sarkisian’s victory in last February’s election, before street battles
broke out with riot police.

Two police officers and eight civilians were killed in the clashes and
dozens more were injured, many from gunshot wounds. Ter-Petrosian had
finished second in the vote.

Armenia has seen repeated political violence and post-election
protests since gaining independence with the Soviet Union’s collapse
in 1991.