Date Type 03/07/2015 JAL 03/07/2015 UA Case No Country Mandate(s) Summary of the allegation transmitted ARM 1/2015 Armenia Freedom of expression; Freedom of peaceful assembly and of association; Human rights defenders; Torture; Alleged excessive use of force by the police to disperse a peaceful demonstration in Yerevan, and subsequent arrest and detention of demonstrators, journalists and human rights monitors. According to the information received, on 22 June 2015, thousands of people took to the streets in Yerevan to peacefully protest against an increase of electricity prices. The police deemed the protest unlawful and blocked the march. They later reportedly dispersed it violently, using a water cannon, and beat protestors with truncheons and shields or suffocated them with their arms. Police officers also assaulted a dozen of journalists present at the site and destroyed their equipment, including cameras and mobile phones being used to record the police operation. 237 protestors, as well as journalists and human rights monitors, were arrested and later released. BLZ 1/2015 Belize Indigenous peoples; Allegations concerning the arrest and detention of 12 Maya people from the village of Santa Cruz in Toledo District, Belize, for their actions to remove from their village lands a non-Maya individual who was building a housing structure on ancient Maya ruins, in violation of Maya customary law and despite repeated requests to remove the structure. According to the information received, despite repeated attempts to involve local police in the removal of the non-Maya individual, on 20 June 2015, the non-Maya individual threatened villagers during a fajina (traditional meeting). The Mayan authorities handcuffed the individual and released him the next day. On 24 June 2015, local police removed 12 Mayan representatives from their homes and charged them with unlawful detention and some of them, in addition, with aggravated assault. The alcalde (local leader) of Santa Cruz and the spokesperson for the Maya Leaders Alliance were also charged with unlawful imprisonment. Concern is expressed that the arrest and detention of the Maya villagers was prompted by retaliation for their legal work to have their rights to their traditional lands recognized and protected by the Government. Reply 31/08/2015 06/10/2015 A/HRC/31/79 35