Epress.am News from Armenia
State authorities in Armenia continue to violate human rights and fundamental freedoms, which are protected by the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia, laws and international treaties and conventions that the Republic of Armenia has signed, reads a report on the human rights situation in the country in 2011 issued by the Yerevan-based Helsinki Association for Human Rights.
“Though there were certain personnel changes in the state structures that guarantee and protect human rights, there were no qualitative changes in the protection of human rights,” reads the report, referring to the appointments of Human Rights Defender Karen Andreasyan and RA Police Chief Vladimir Gasparyan.
The report also mentions the general amnesty declared by Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan on May 20, which was carried out from May 27 to Sept. 21. According to the Helsinki Association, the decision to declare amnesty came following pressure from the international community and it targeted the release of those opposition activists imprisoned in connection with the events of Mar. 1, 2008.
“Despite the amnesty, overcrowding continues to be a significant problem in penitentiaries. Those imprisoned in penal institutions are subject to torture, inhumane and humiliating treatment,” according to the report.
The Helsinki Association cites figures provided by the organization Jehovah’s Witnesses, which states that as of Jan. 2012, there are 58 Jehovah’s Witnesses imprisoned due to conscientious objection to military service. The Helsinki Association refers to these men as prisoners of conscience, a group that, according to the Helsinki Association, also includes Armenian National Congress activist Tigran Araqelyan.
“Political persecution continues against those businessmen who don’t cooperate with the authorities. A vivid example of this is Yukos [Oil Company] bankrupted in Russia and the continuing political persecution as demanded till today by the Russian Federation against Yukos’ Armenia director Armen Mikaelyan,” reads the report.
Weighing in on reports by international agencies, the Yerevan-based human rights organization pointed out that in 2011, Freedom House and Human Rights Watch considered the human rights situation in Armenia inconsolable and without progress.
“On May 9, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Thomas Hammarberg published his report on Armenia, in which he stresses that the application of force by authorities on Mar. 1–2, 2008, was ‘disproportionate’ and the steps toward uncovering the circumstances surrounding the 10 deaths, ‘ineffective.’
“On Oct. 5, Resolution 1837 was adopted at the 33rd sitting of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe [PACE], which, according to the Helsinki Association, doesn’t objectively present the current human rights situation, as well as allowing the authorities to continue their unlawful policies adopted in this sector,” reads the report.
The authors of the report emphasize that despite authorities’ declarations of reforms and legislative changes, courts continue to be corrupt and not independent (biased): the principle of separation of court from state is violated, and judges carry out the orders of prosecutors and the authorities.
Furthermore, the report notes, the army continues to be a criminal and corrupt institution, and a significant portion of youth called to mandatory military service from Armenia continue to carry out their service in the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh.