Taguhi Tovmasyan, an MP from the opposition Pativ Unem bloc and head of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Protection of Human Rights and Public Affairs, has appealed to Armenia’s Prosecutor General Artak Davtyan and the Russian, U.S. and EU ambassadors in the country regarding police violence against peaceful protesters in Yerevan last week.
Dozens were injured in clashes between riot police and opposition demonstrators near the parliament building in downtown Yerevan on June 3. The skirmishes erupted after protesters attempted to break through a police cordon at the intersection of Proshyan and Demirchyan Streets.
In a public post on Facebook on Thursday, Tovmasyan said she called the attention of the chief prosecutor and the diplomats to the use of special means, including stun grenades, by police officers at the protest without warning. She cited opposition leaders’ claims that the special means were outdated, which led to grave injuries among policemen and civilians.
The MP urged Artak Davtyan to instruct the competent authorities to check the legality of the decision on the use of special means by the police as well as to investigate reports suggesting they were outdated.
Tovmasyan also called on international partners to publicly comment on the police brutality against peaceful protesters in an effort to prevent its recurrence.