BERDZOR INCIDENT: HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS EXPECT NO LEGAL SOLUTIONS TO POLICE BRUTALITY CLAIMS

Human rights | 05.02.15 | 12:36

By Sara Khojoyan
ArmeniaNow reporter

The failure of the automobile march to Nagorno-Karabakh organized by
activists of the hard-line opposition Founding Parliament group as
part of the movement called “Centenary [of the Genocide] Without the
Regime”, when force was used against the participants, most probably,
will not have a legal solution, because there are numerous questions
with no answers, human rights activists think.

Meanwhile, the policy used by NK officials and law enforcement
bodies is evidence of human rights violation, and the justification
of the occurrence, even accompanied by condemnation, deepens the
non-solidarity that has been created between Armenians in Armenia
and in Karabakh.

According to political analyst Edgar Vardanyan from the Armenian
Center for National and International Studies (ACNIS), the NKR Police
statement regarding the Berdzor incident is nothing but self-confession
of human rights violation.

Vardanyan specifically refers to the following part of the police
statement, “the Founding Parliament’s ‘automobile march’ on January 31
had elicited a negative reaction among wide circles of the Karabakh
public and a large part of the population decided to prevent the
march participants’ entry into Karabakh.”

“By using the term ‘automobile march’, the NKR Police factually admits
that the matter is about a certain type of peaceful gathering. Here, we
must say that organizing a peaceful protest and/or participating in it
is one of human rights. That right is guaranteed both by the Armenian
and by the NK Constitutions, and we must add that any individual has
this right, regardless of his or her citizenship,” Vardanyan said.

It is noteworthy that both Nagorno-Karabakh President Bako Sahakyan
and Deputy Prime Minister Artur Aghabekyan in their interview to
Artsakh National TV justified their policy to prevent the march.

“In our presence the president literally said, “Zhiro, I cannot permit
that action, that luxury cannot take place, Artsakh cannot become part
of such unpleasant activities, we cannot participate in such activities
that take place in Armenia” Aghabekyan told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service,
adding that they evaluate the video showing the violence against the
march as provocation and call for tolerance.

Violence against the Founding Parliament members took place on the
territory of NK, and a legal solution to this issue must be given
in accordance with this country’s legislation, Armenian Helsinki
Committee Chairman Avetik Ishkhanyan said.

“Even if it were the strictest law, what I saw in that video
contradicts that strictest law – after brief negotiations they started
beating people, even with the strictest law the police stretched
its authority and applied violence,” the human rights activist told
ArmeniaNow.

According to Ishkhanyan, those who were beaten up must be recognized as
victims, even if they broke the law and are subject to administrative
penalties. “The whole problem, however, is that I am sure that no
legal solution will be given.”