Azernews.Az

By Rashid Shirinov

On July 22, anti-corruption center Transparency International published a report presenting the efforts aimed to reform Armenian police system. the OSCE attempts to change the Armenian police over the past 13 years, in particular since 2008, have been fruitless so far.

Despite enormous efforts and diligence, Armenian people keep witnessing the increasing aggression and illegal actions of the country’s police.

“Hundreds of thousands of citizens have been deprived of their right to peaceful assembly and many hundreds were illegally detained and suffered physical offenses,” the Transparency International’s report states.

The latest events on seizure of a police service station in Yerevan by armed attack of a group Sasna Tsrer showed the peak of violence of the Armenian police troops. That reminds the March events of 2008, when the protests of the Armenian citizens against the rigged presidential elections were cracked down by police and Serzh Sargsyan came to power in the country.

Sasna Tsrer demands the release of political prisoners and the resignation of the president of Armenia. These demands are largely shared by people, who are upset with the problems of their country, namely corruption, social injustice, poverty, unemployment and the consequent emigration.

Many people consider the uprising to be the last resort to save the country’s future and, hence, a growing number of people join the civic actions in defense of the rebels. From the first day of the seizure, Armenian people started their protest actions against authorities by gathering on the Khorenatsi Street and some other main venues of the capital. Every evening they conduct rallies in front of the police cordon in protest against the current government and police system.

Since the seizure started on July 17, Armenian police has clashed with hundreds of demonstrators who showed support for Sasna Tsrer. The police officers fired tear gas, detonated smoke grenades and additionally used stones in order to calm protesters down. Thousands of peace activists were detained and taken to police stations everyday, where they suffered from police abuse. Only for July 27, the number of detainees increased 150. This confrontation is still being observed in the main streets and squares of the Armenian capital.

Lawlessness of the police and their impunity transformed Armenia into a ‘police state’ – the police deprive the opposition of its right to free speech, that brings dictatorship and tyranny to Armenia.

“It is obvious that the efforts made by OSCE as well as other international organizations to reform the police sector in Armenia has failed,” Transparency International mirthlessly finished its statement. It is evident that Armenian police receives all instructions from the unfortunate government system of the country, and no reforms can change the situation until the top management resigns. That is exactly what the Armenians claim at their rallies.

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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

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