Police in Armenia used force to disperse a largely peaceful protest on June 23, 2015, raising concerns about potential human rights violations, Human Rights Watch said in a statement on Wednesday.

The authorities should immediately open a thorough and impartial investigation to determine whether the force used was lawful and proportionate, and if not, ensure accountability for those responsible for use of excessive force. They should investigate all allegations of beatings, unlawful destruction of journalists’ equipment, and arbitrary detention of journalists covering the protests. The investigation should also examine the circumstances in which water cannons were deployed, such as what warnings were given to protesters and operational instructions on targeting of water jets.

“Even if the Yerevan demonstration was unauthorized, nothing can justify physical attacks on largely peaceful demonstrators and journalists covering the protests,” said Giorgi Gogia, senior South Caucasus researcher at Human Right Watch. “Police responsible for beating protesters and interfering with the work of journalists should be held to account.”

Human Rights Watch received a number of reports of police interfering with demonstrators’ access to a lawyer. Robert Revazyan, a lawyer from Armenian Helsinki Committee, said that officials at the Shengavit district police station denied him access to his client for more than an hour, during which they questioned the client. Police continued the questioning in Revazyan’s presence, but then forcibly pushed Revazyan out of the station and then conducted alcohol and drug testing on his client. Another lawyer from the Armenian Helsinki Association had similar problems in the same police station, waiting for two hours to see his client.

“With the renewed protests, Armenian authorities have a chance to show respect for peaceful assemblies and refrain from repeating the violence against demonstrators,” Gogia said. “The authorities should make clear at the highest levels that aggressive and illegal police actions will absolutely not be tolerated.”