ANN/Groong -- The Yerevan venue launched petition demanding police to allo

[Katia Peltekian <kpeltekian@gmail.com>]

ra.co

Nov 23 2024

• The Yerevan venue launched a petition demanding police to allow them to reopen, the municipality to reform its laws, and the Republic of Armenia to evaluate its practices.

Armenian club THEØFFICE has launched a petition after an alleged 'hostile' police raid last weekend. In a statement shared to Instagram on Friday, THEØFFICE alleged that Yerevan Municipality officers and Republic of Armenia (RA) police "viciously and unlawfully" entered the venue on Saturday, November 16th. The club claimed that officers carried out the raid around 1 AM, "under the pretence of a licence check." "Armed with video recorders and flashlights, they froze all activity within the club, subjecting more than 300 guests and our staff to inhumane treatment, including the use of aggressive language, forcibly preventing individuals from leaving, unlawfully detaining them on the floor, and conducting invasive searches," the post reads. Resident Advisor has reached out to THEØFFICE for further comment. "This hostile raid created an atmosphere of panic and terror, ultimately leading to the shutdown of THEØFFICE - marking yet another violent assault on Armenia's electronic music scene and Yerevan's vibrant nightlife," the venue's statement continued. THEØFFICE's petition condemns the "illegal practices" of the Yerevan Municipality Officers and Republic of Armenia (RA) police. It outlines four demands: for police to allow THEØFFICE to reopen, for the Yerevan municipality to reform its laws "in dialogue with cultural industries," and for the Republic of Armenia to deliver a comprehensive assessment of its institutional practices—including police procedures— exploring potential human rights violations. The petition was launched on November 21st, and at the time of writing has over 440 signatures. Read THEØFFICE's full statement.  

https://ra.co/news/81702 

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