Over 200 activists detained during Armenia peaceful protests – IPHR report

Over 200 people were detained and many of them were allegedly chased, hit, and beaten as the police moved to break up a peaceful demonstration held at Marshal Baghramyan Avenue in the Armenian capital, Yerevan, in the morning of 23 June 2015 following days of protests against plans to increase electricity prices.

This is stated in the report by International Partnership for Human Rights (IPHR) documenting the crackdown on the peaceful protest dubbed “Electric Yerevan” in the capital of Armenia on 23 June 2015. 

“As documented by the CSP fact-finding mission, after giving protesters little warning of the pending dispersal, police used water cannon against the protesters, turning up the pressure to the point where people were knocked off their feet and left with injuries to their eyes, ears and other parts of their bodies. Over 200 people were detained and many of them were allegedly chased, hit, beaten, kicked and/or put in choke-hold by police,” reads the report.

All those detained in connection with the dispersal of the demonstration were eventually released without charge by the evening of 23 June. However, the same day, the Prosecutor General’s Office announced that it had opened a criminal case on “hooliganism” in relation to the protest actions that preceded the dispersal. An investigation is currently under way.

The report makes the overall conclusion that police acted in violation of international human rights standards on 23 June by using disproportionate and excessive force to break up the protest as well as ill-treatment against protesters and journalists, as evidenced by the numerous injuries sustained by victims.