Human rights activists accuse government agencies of using law as  punitive baton in Armenia

ArmInfo.  The use of state repressive apparatus for a minor administrative offense-tearing down a ruling party poster-and the arbitrary criminalization of this act is clearly political persecution, characteristic of authoritarian  systems. This is how Robert Amsterdam, a member of Samvel  Karapetyan's legal team and international human rights activist,  commented on the suicide of Armen Hovhannisyan, who hanged himself in  his hospital cell after being detained for tearing down a ruling  party poster. 

"I am deeply shocked and outraged by the tragic and entirely  preventable death of Armen Hovhannisyan, who lost his life while  under state control. I express my deepest condolences to his family  on this terrible loss. Let us state the absolute truth: one political  poster cost a human life," the lawyer stated on his Facebook page.

He also stated that such methods constitute an abuse of state power  under the guise of administering justice, which directly violates the  fundamental principles of legal certainty and proportionality.

Amsterdam added that Armen Hovhannisyan was transferred to a state  psychiatric hospital and found hanged several hours later, a mark of  systemic failure and criminal negligence.