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Politics

Police batons and human rights

A week ago, a group of citizens, who were protesting against the planned increase in electricity tariffs, were brutally beaten up by policemen with batons in Yerevan. The Minister of Justice today attended a discussion on the National Human Rights Protection Strategy and its Action Plan. Before the start of the discussion the Minister emphasized participation of civil society representatives in the discussion of important issues. Is it possible to ensure citizens’ participation when police use batons against people? “The police have a vast and multi-faceted role in society. The police force helps to maintain public order, at the same time they must not violate human rights,” said Minister Hovhannes Manukyan. In February, the Armenian government approved the National Strategy on Human Rights Protection submitted by the Ombudsman’s Office. Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan considers the package to be a key guarantee for the protection of human rights while NGOs see a number of drawbacks in the document and say it is not aimed at solving problems.