Stay Away from Politicizing Police Actions: Artsakh Police

Considering the public resonance of the incident of blocking the road in Stepanakert around 18:05 on March 18, 2020, the Police of the Republic of Artsakh finds it necessary to inform the public that the police are tasked with preventing, stopping, and dismantling administrative offenses, ensuring the maintenance of public order and safety.

This was stated in a communiqué released by the Artsakh police.

“According to the Constitution of the Republic of Artsakh, everyone is free to do anything that is not prohibited by the Constitution or law and does not violate the rights and freedoms of others. Blocking the road, as well as creating obstacles to road traffic, is an illegal act prohibited by laws and violates the rights and freedoms of others, including the right to free movement and several other rights. Therefore, the police have fulfilled their responsibilities imposed by law by interrupting the administrative violation. After the demands and calls of police officers to remove the obstacle were not followed by the drivers of the vehicles, they were moved to a special area, and persons who committed violations requiring legal proceedings were detained.

At the same time, we would like to inform that the police is a depoliticized body, and examining the actions of the police in the context of preventing, stopping, and dismantling violations, as well as actions regarding violations requiring legal proceedings, in a political context is beyond the realms of logic and reason. We urge everyone to refrain from politicizing any actions carried out by the police in the direction of preventing, stopping, and dismantling crimes and administrative violations,” the statement reads.