Lying at the square is not a violation
If anybody wants to sit or lie at Freedom Square, it is not a violation from the legal angle," says general secretary of International Federation for Human Rights, president of Civil Society Institute Artak Kirakosyan.
"If you don't let people express their views, it gets heavier. The only way is through dialogue. It is better to have people sit around ar table and discuss issues. If not, you have to allow other measures and ways for people to have the chance to express their views and protest," he told "A1+".
What is the way out of the situation when the authorities don't want to compromise, the issue exists and citizens want to talk about it?
"I can't give advice to political parties or activists. I can give general advice to not stop fighting for their rights and their chance to express their views," he said.
"It is high time"
General Secretary of FIDH Artak Kirakosyan says the police must prove to the people that Vahan Khalafyan was not killed at Charentsavan police division.
"This is not the first case and there is fear that it won't be the last case of strange suicides or escapes in relation to tortures," he told "A1+", adding that he had said that two years ago when Levon Gulyan died at the police division.
According to him, the police divisions need to be publicly scrutinized by a reliable group that will have the chance to enter the divisions and see who's there and the state of affairs.
Is torture widespread? In response, Artak Kirakosyan said: "There are many issues concerning torture. There are cases when the penitentiary accepts people who already have certain physical injuries. The problem is that in those cases, there is no examination. If those cases are examined, there will be more cases with arguments. It turns out that we come to our senses when people simply die at the police divisions. It shouldn't lead to that. It is high time to take action."
