Police officers who beat activists could be charged with a crime, lawyer says

The footage, which shows a police officer who beats a protester, is just a crime. The police deliberately harm a person’s health, Lawyer Hovhannes Khudoyan said on Alpha News live.

“With certain exceptions, a person cannot be kept in police stations for more than 3 hours. A police officer has the right to use physical force against the person who disobeys him, can drag them by the arms and, in case of serious violations, use handcuffs, but he should never beat them”, the lawyer said.

According to Hovhannes Khudoyan, in case of violence, a protester has the right to contact the relevant authorities.

“If the act of violence took place, you should turn to a lawyer, human rights defender, or report to the police. Any crime committed by a police officer, be it violence or even an unjustified arrest, must be reported. Now there will be no one to punish them, but the police must be alert. They should understand that in case of a change in the situation, they will be charged with a crime,” Khudoyan said.