Human Rights Education and Monitoring Centre (EMC) calls on the Ministry of Internal Affairs not to use police forces against peaceful demonstrators.

“Police started to use water cannons without informing the demonstrators who had gathered in front of the Central Election Commission (CEC) which is against the law. Based on international standards, the measures like tear gas or water cannon, which pose high risk of harm, can be only used in case of mass violence, when no other measures are capable to counter the violence.  The video footage live streamed by various media outlets prove that there were no such preconditions on the ground. Therefore, police had no legal reason to disperse the demonstrators with water cannons”, - says EMC. 

The organization calls on the MIA not to use disproportionate force against the demonstrators.