YEREVAN. – Police have apprehended the lawyers who were protesting in front of the National Assembly, and demanding to permit the holding of peaceful rallies in a state of emergency.

As the Armenian News-NEWS.am correspondent reports from the scene, these persons are Ruben Melikyan, Robert Hayrapetyan, Armen Galstyan, and Babken Harutyunyan.

These lawyers were standing at a social distance from each other, holding—in their words—"solitary actions," emphasizing that they do not violate any restrictions imposed by the Commandant of the state of emergency.

However, the police claimed that this action of theirs was a violation of the ban on rallies, and if the demonstrators did not stop it, they would be detained.

The National Assembly is currently debating on the government's decision to extend the state of emergency in Armenia for another month.

The aforesaid lawyers are urging the MPs to demand, during the debates, that the restrictions on rallies be lifted.

A state of emergency has been declared in Armenia since March 16 due to the coronavirus pandemic. And according to the decision of the Commandant, all types of gatherings are prohibited during this period.