A group of six United Nations human rights experts has expressed concern over Armenia’s use of counter-terrorism legislation against members of the opposition Holy Struggle movement and the police response to anti-government protests in 2024, warning that the measures could be inconsistent with the country’s international human rights obligations, AzerNEWS reports.
The concerns were outlined in a communication sent to the Armenian government on May 11 and later made public under the UN’s special procedures.
The UN Special Rapporteurs signed the letter on counter-terrorism, freedom of expression, freedom of peaceful assembly and association, extrajudicial executions, and the independence of judges and lawyers, as well as the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.
According to the experts, the application of counter-terrorism legislation against opposition members and the handling of demonstrations warrant scrutiny under international human rights standards.
The Armenian government rejected the allegations, stating that it was acting within its legal authority to investigate and prosecute criminal offences.