In Such Cases, the Police Have the Right to Act Decisively and Harshly: Prime Minister's Spokesperson

The Prime Minister has already demanded that the police be strict towards citizens who ignore their requests. In such cases, the police have the right to act decisively and harshly. This was stated by Mané Gevorgyan, the spokesperson for Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, on her Facebook page.

“Dear compatriots, esteemed journalists, the rates of coronavirus spread in Armenia continue to be concerning. As a law enforcement body, the Armenian police are obliged to ensure compliance with anti-epidemic rules. All citizens who do not adhere to these rules endanger not only their own lives but also the lives and health of others. In such cases, the police are required to first urge compliance, and in case of clear disregard for police demands, they may also use proportional force. The Prime Minister has already demanded that the police be strict with citizens who disregard their requests. In such cases, the police have the right to act decisively and harshly. To avoid such scenarios, we urge everyone to comply with anti-epidemic regulations and police demands,” she wrote.

It is worth noting that activist Manuel Manukyan posted a video on his Facebook page, claiming that the police were detaining a citizen for not wearing a mask. “The police are humiliating a citizen of the Republic of Armenia for not having a mask. People, rise up, this is already unacceptable; this is humiliation. This crosses the line of proper conduct. Look at how they put their foot on this person’s neck. Instead of this citizen, it could be any of us; what they did to this citizen, they will do the same to each one of us. The video was just recorded. I call upon all of you to unite. These police officers must be held accountable right now,” the user stated.