Arrests of Founding Parliament members political persecution – human rights activists

On April 7, Armenia’s law-enforcers began searching the apartments and offices of coordinators and members of the Founding Parliament political movement, arrested the coordinators and members and confiscated their means of communication, computers and documents.

The Founding Parliament members’ fundamental rights were not respected during the search and arrests.

Specifically, their right to legal aid was not ensured. The arrests and search was accompanied with use of force. Specifically, 15 to 20 policemen were involved in the search of the Founding Parliament members’ apartments, and representative of the Human Rights Defender (Ombudsman) and the coordinator’s lawyer were not allowed to inquire about the legal grounds for the search.

The relevant statement was signed by a number of human rights activists: Head of the Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Vanadzor office Artur Sakunts, chairman of the Helsinki Committee of Armenia Avetik Ishkhanyan, Chairman of the Asparez journalists’ club Levon Barseghyan, Chairman of the Khoran Ard NGO Seyran Martirosyan, Executive Director of the Transparency International anticorruption center Varuzhan Hoktanyan.

“On April 7, as of 1:00pm, Zhirayr Sefilyan, his brother Toros Sefilyan, Pavel Manukyan, Varuzhan Avetisyan, Garegin Chugaszyan, Aram Hakobyan and Hovhannes Ghazaryan were arrested or deprived of freedom,” reads the statement.

According to the human rights activists, the Investigation Committee’s later statement does not inspire any confidence as it is a flagrant violation of the principle of presumption of innocence.

The actions by the National Security Service and Investigation Committee are planned unlawful actions against Armenia’s citizens in an attempt to exert pressure and restrict the constitutional right to freedom of speech, unions and peaceful meetings.

“We consider the actions by the National Security Service and Investigation Committee an act of terrorist against freedom. The mass arrests and search are unconstitutional and actually political persecutions. Armenia’s authorities must bear the responsibility for the unlawful actions,” the statement reads.