Representatives of Armenia’s Human Rights Defender visited the Interior Ministry detention facility to meet Artsakh Revolutionary Party chairman Arthur Osipyan and assess the protection of his rights on site. Osipyan declined a private meeting, Armenia’s Human Rights Defender Anahit Manasyan said.
Osipyan was detained on May 18 following an argument with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan during a Civil Contract party campaign event.
Representatives of the ombudsman’s office reviewed publicly available information related to the case, documents prepared regarding Osipyan, and the conditions of his rights protection at the detention facility. Additional clarifications regarding the grounds for initiating criminal proceedings and depriving him of liberty will also be requested from the competent state authorities.
Armenia’s Human Rights Defender stressed that during the election campaign, law enforcement agencies should conduct their activities and public communication with heightened sensitivity in order to avoid any public perception that legal instruments may be used against or in favor of any political force or actor, or that such tools could serve as means of pressure during the election process.
“Considering that the issue concerns deprivation of liberty and the use of criminal liability instruments during the election campaign, the Human Rights Defender demands proper public communication from law enforcement bodies regarding the legal and factual grounds for depriving a person of liberty, while observing the above-mentioned standards. Moreover, in any case where such grounds are absent or no longer exist, the person must be released immediately,” the ombudsman stated.
According to the Interior Ministry, Arthur Osipyan was detained on suspicion of hooliganism. The Independent Observer alliance has issued a statement claiming that there are no elements of hooliganism or any other crime in Osipyan’s actions, and that the deprivation of his liberty may be linked to political criticism directed at Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.
The alliance demanded the immediate lifting of restrictions on Osipyan’s freedom and a public explanation regarding the actions of law enforcement authorities.
