THEY CALL FOR THE IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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01:09 pm | June 15, 2009 | Politics

The Human Rights House Foundation, the Norwegian Helsinki Committee,
the Norwegian Tibet Committee, the Polish Helsinki Foundation for
Human Rights, Human Rights House of Sarajevo, Human Rights Centre
of Azerbaijan, the Russian Research Center for Human Rights, the
Belarusian Human Rights House in exile in Lithuania and the Human
Rights Centre in Georgia, condemn the ill treatment and unlawful
detention of the election observer Arshaluys Hakobyan in Yerevan on
5 June 2009.

According to the information received by the South Caucasus Network
of Human Rights Defenders, Arshaluys Hakobyan, member of the Helsinki
Association and press photographer of the official website of the
organization (), was arrested on 5 June 2009 after he, as
a representative of the Armenian Helsinki Association, had observed
the elections of the Mayor of Yerevan on 31 May 2009. Accusations were
brought against him according to Article 316, part 1 of the Criminal
Code of Armenia (Showing Resistance against the Law Enforcement
Bodies).

We, the undersigned organisations, call for the immediate release of
Arshaluys Hakobyan. His detention contradicts Article 5 of the European
Convention to which Armenia is a party. We ask the Armenian authorities
to conduct a prompt and impartial investigation in relation to the
allegations of mistreatment of Mr. Hakobyan by the Police Department
of Kentron District and bring the responsible to justice, as stated
in Article 12 of the UN Convention against Torture and other Cruel,
Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.