Nicol Pashinian: The October 23 Procession Was A Lawful One

NICOL PASHINIAN: THE OCTOBER 23 PROCESSION WAS A LAWFUL ONE

Noyan Tapan
Oct 24, 2007

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 24, NOYAN TAPAN. "Yesterday’s procession in Yerevan,
during which its participants informed citizens about the rally to
be held in Freedom Square on October 26, was a lawful one," Nicol
Pashinian, editor-in-chief of the "Armenian Time" daily, one of
the organizers of the procession, stated at the October 24 press
conference. He noted that in accordance with Article 6, Point 6 of
the RA Law on Meetings, Rallies, Processions and Demonstrations,
the organizers of a public event have the right to disseminate,
personally or through others, information about the date and place
of the public event via the mass media or other ways not forbidden
by law, as well as to call on people to participate in this event.

Besides, in accordance with Article 7, point 1 of the same law,
participants of an event may have or carry placards and other materials
of this kind and to use loudspeakers.

In the words of N. Pashinian, the events got out of control when the
deputy head of the Yerevan police department Alexander Afian arrived
at the scene.

He told the procession participants to switch off the loudspeaker and
give it to law enforcers. The procession participants said they would
do so if A. Afian quoted the respective point of the law forbidding
such actions.

However, this was not done. Policemen made an unsuccessful attempt
to seize the loudspeaker, after which A. Afian ordered about 100
"red helmets" to disperse the procession. As N. Pashinian put it,
they attacked the procession participants and strated beating them,
while "A. Afian behaved like a street criminal".