It is clear that political rights are the main rights of citizens of the Republic of Armenia that have been restricted during the 90-day state of emergency. This is what member of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaktsutyun political party Artsvik Minasyan told reporters today. Minasyan is among the public and political figures protesting against the apprehension of lawyers who were protesting in front of the parliament today.

“The inaction that the authorities showed during the first days of the fight against the coronavirus attests to the fact that the government’s policy on preventing the spread of the virus and maintaining people’s health is a failure, and we believe automatic extension of the state of emergency without serious analyses is inadmissible. Automatic extension of the period of state of emergency is a gross violation of the Constitution and an attempt to conceal own irresponsibility. The government’s irresponsibility has posed and is posing serious threats to the society and economy and external threats,” he said.

Several dozens of citizens gathered near the police station after four lawyers were apprehended while protesting in front of the Armenian parliament, and some of those citizens were apprehended a short while ago.

As reported earlier, lawyers Ruben Melikyan, Robert Hayrapetyan, Armen Galstyan, and Babken Harutyunyan were apprehended while they were protesting in front of the National Assembly, and demanding to permit the holding of peaceful rallies in a state of emergency.

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.