07 April 2009, 22:00
In Armenia, youth organizations protest against amendments to the Law "On Police"
On April 6, near the building of the National Assembly of Armenia, a protest action was held by youth public organizations. Several dozens of young people expressed their negative altitude to the bill with amendments to the Laws "On Police" and "On Police Troops" and demanded to cancel the bill.
On March 19, the National Assembly by the majority of 84 against 6, with 4 refrained, approved the bill on amending the above Laws in the first reading. Among other things, the amendments assume transfer to contractual service for police troops and vesting the police with broad powers of defending the public order, application of force and special means.
Representatives of the youth organization named "Civil National Initiative", who have expressed their concern with the amendments adopted in the first reading, carried posters: "No to police terror", "Attention! Human rights are broken" and others.
Policemen surrounded the gate of the building of the parliament and tried to oust the group of youth under the motive that they had no sanction to hold the action at the building of the National Assembly. However, after David Sanasaryan, assistant of Larissa Alaverdyan, MP from the faction "Heritage", appeared in the venue, the young people returned to the gate, and policemen stopped interfering with the protest action.
"The law was broken, and the cases are not stipulated when policemen can use force or firearms," said one of the participants of the protest action.
Author: Lilit Ovanisyan Source: CK correspondent
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