At a press conference held earlier today, Armenia's Human Rights Ombudsman Armen Harutyunyan, stated that he wished to see the recently declared general amnesty apply to all those jailed in connection with the events of March 1, 2008. "The amnesty must not be viewed only from a March 1st perspective since ten times more detainees have been released from incarceration that had nothing to do with those events," Mr. Harutyunyan said. He added, "But the amnesty was sufficient grounds for a constructive approach to be imparted to our internal political system. Generally speaking, the amnesty served its purpose." Referring to the June 1 arrest of HAK youth activist Tigran Arakelyan, the Human Rights Ombudsman said that a "rapid deployment" unit from his office is dealing with the matter. "It shouldn't be concluded that the police are always to blame. Without question, a police employee is laying in the hospital resuscitation unit with injuries. Physical force was used against him and a criminal case must be launched. Not everything can be given a political connotation," he noted. Touching on the recent demonstration in defense of Javakhk during which several participants, including ARF officials, were roughed up by the police, MR. Harutyunyan said that everyone had a right to assemble and "hug lamp posts" if it didn't disrupt anyone else. "The police should have warned the protestors that since a foreign head of state was staying at the nearby hotel, access to the hotel could not be impeded. If the demonstration didn't block the hotel entrance than the police had no right no exercise force," he said. The Ombudsman requested that organizers of demonstrations in the future notify his office so that a "response team" can be present to monitor events. "The Ombudsman's Office can't evaluate events after the fact and judge who was right or wrong. That's why I've often requested that our staff be made aware beforehand in order to be present at such events. We can thus monitor matters live and in person. It would make our job all the more easier," Mr. Harutyunyan concluded.