Baku, Azerbaijan, June 24
Trend:
The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Nils Muiznieks expressed concern over the use of force by the police during the dispersal of a peaceful protest in Yerevan, Armenia, on June 23, said the Armenian News.
Muiznieks said the messages he is receiving about the cases of violence against journalists, their arrests and damage to their equipment are alarming.
"The media outlets should be able to work in a safe and free atmosphere," said Muiznieks.
The commissioner also called on the Armenian authorities to respect international human rights commitments, particularly those on the freedom of assembly and freedom of expression, and to investigate possible cases of violence by law enforcement officers during dispersal and detainment of protesters.
On June 23, the Armenian police broke up a rally in the center of the country's capital. The rally was held in protest against the increased electricity tariffs. The protests in the streets resulted in use of water cannons against people. Over 230 people got arrested as a result of violent crackdown, including journalists of Gala TV, the Radio Liberty's Armenian office, the Haykakan Zhamanak newspaper, the Hetq, News.am, Panarmenian.net news agencies.
On June 17, Armenia's Public Services Regulatory Commission, considering a request from the distribution company, Electric Networks of Armenia, which is a subsidiary of the Inter RAO UES, raised the electricity tariffs by 6.93 Armenian drams (about $0.015). This caused discontent among the population that believes the rise in the cost of electricity will lead to higher prices for essential goods and many services.