The Extension of the State of Emergency Has a Sole Purpose: Ruben Melikyan

Human rights defender Ruben Melikyan stated on his Facebook page: "A draft decision to extend the state of emergency for another 30 days has already been posted on the government's website. I reiterate my position regarding the illegality of extending the regime under the current legislative formulations. A few days ago, I expressed the view that truly necessary mechanisms for limitations could be included in 'regular' laws, thus concluding the state of emergency.

The government is taking a different path, and recent events indicate that the purpose is not at all benevolent — to extend unnecessary restrictions, to postpone the referendum question until they can 'concoct' something. One of the first unnecessary yet 'pleasant' restrictions for the authorities is depriving us all of our fundamental freedom of assembly, which has already been disproportionately extended for a long time.

This measure of the state of emergency, although illegal, could be viewed as 'tolerable' if the political power did not exploit the situation to (a) raise and adopt controversial, poorly discussed laws and conventions, and (b) initiate criminal cases with apparent political overtones and pursue criminal charges.

In the current situation, I expect the parliamentary opposition to raise the issue of lifting the total ban on the freedom of assembly at the special session of the National Assembly to be held today. Even at the cost of being beaten.

P.S. I fundamentally believe that in the state of emergency due to the pandemic, aside from laws aimed at curbing the spread of the pandemic and mitigating its consequences, the adoption of any other laws is neither legitimate, democratic, nor lawful. I hope that such 'cunning' actions by the ruling power will receive due legal assessment in a timely manner."