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AMNESTY: IN ARMENIA IMPUNITY FOR PERPETRATORS OF HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS PERSISTED
The Armenian Observer
May 30, 2010 Sunday 4:17 PM EST
Impunity for perpetrators of human rights violations persisted.
Freedom of expression was restricted and journalists were attacked,
Amnesty Inertnational, a recognized international human rights watchdog
has stated in The State of The Worlds Human Rights report released
last week.
The report goes on to note, that Å"the ban on holding demonstrations
in the centre of the capital, Yerevan, which had been introduced in
March 2008 during the state of emergency, remained in place.
Amnesty report also touches on the protection of women against
violence, saying it fell short of international standards in Armenia.
Å"The government failed to provide a genuine alternative to military
service, the watchdog states detailing on a case with Jehovahs
witnesses.
Below, is the section from Amnestys report related to Armenia for
your reeference.
Background
On 19 June, the National Assembly granted an amnesty for opposition
activists imprisoned in relation to the events in Yerevan, in March
2008. The amnesty covered those who had not been charged with violent
crimes and had been sentenced to prison terms of less than five years.
Those who did not fall under the amnesty had their sentences halved.
On 1 and 2 March 2008, violent demonstrations had taken place in
Yerevan to protest against the presidential election results of 19
February, in which opposition candidate Levon Ter-Petrossian lost to
incumbent President Serzh Sargsyan.
Some progress was made in Azerbaijan-Armenian talks over the disputed
territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, a predominantly ethnic Armenian
enclave within Azerbaijan that broke away following the 1990 war. On
2 November, following talks in Moscow, Armenia and Azerbaijan signed
a joint agreement aimed at resolving the dispute on the basis of
international law.
Violence against women and girls
In its concluding observations published in February, the Committee
on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women expressed concern
about the lack of legislation referring to domestic violence and the
absence of a responsible state institution. The Committee called on
the authorities Å"to enact, without delay, legislation specifically
addressing domestic violence against women, and to provide sufficient
shelters.
A draft law on domestic violence was under discussion by the
authorities, but had not been presented to parliament by the end of
the year.
During 2009, only one shelter for victims of domestic violence,
run by the Womens Rights Centre, was operational.
Impunity
In October, four police officers were charged with using force against
members of the public during the demonstrations on 1 March 2008. By
the end of the year, no independent inquiry had been conducted
into allegations of use of force by police during the March 2008
events. In June 2008, an ad hoc parliamentary commission had been
established to investigate the events, but did not function because
the opposition refused to participate. A separate factfinding group
made up of representatives from diverse political factions and the
Ombudsperson was disbanded by presidential decree in June 2009,
before it became operational.
The prosecution in the case of the shooting of Mikael Danielian, a
human rights activist, was discontinued in May on the grounds that
the perpetrator had allegedly acted in self-defence. In May 2008,
Mikael Danielian was shot at point-blank range with a pneumatic
gun by a former leader of the pro-government Armenian Progressive
Party. Human rights groups voiced concern that key witness statements
had not been considered by the prosecution. Mikael Danielian lodged an
appeal against this decision, but no decision was made on his appeal
by the end of the year.
Freedom of expression
On 30 April, Argishti Kiviryan, a lawyer and journalist, was severely
beaten by a group of unidentified men outside his home in Yerevan. The
attackers reportedly beat him with sticks and attempted to shoot him.
The OSCE Representative for Media Freedom called on the authorities
to investigate the attack and expressed concern about the lack of
investigations into violent attacks against journalists, contributing
to a climate of impunity. In July, two suspects were detained. The
investigation was ongoing at the end of the year.
Discrimination " Jehovahs Witnesses
Alternative civilian service to conscription continued to be under
the control of the military. Conscientious objectors had to wear
military uniform, were disciplined by the Military Prosecutors office
and were forbidden to hold prayer meetings. As of 1 November, 71
Jehovahs Witnesses were serving prison sentences of 24 to 36 months
for refusing to perform military service on grounds of conscience.
In October, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that there
had not been a violation of the right to freedom of conscience
and religion when Vahan Bayatyan was sentenced to two and a half
years imprisonment for his refusal to perform military service on
religious grounds. The Court held that Å"the right of conscientious
objection was not guaranteed by any article of the Convention. In a
dissenting opinion, one of the Court judges stated that the judgement
failed to reflect the almost universal acceptance that the right
to conscientious objection is fundamental to the rights to freedom
of thought, conscience and religion. Vahan Bayatyan is currently
appealing to the Grand Chamber against this ruling.
From: A. Papazian
The Armenian Observer
May 30, 2010 Sunday 4:17 PM EST
Impunity for perpetrators of human rights violations persisted.
Freedom of expression was restricted and journalists were attacked,
Amnesty Inertnational, a recognized international human rights watchdog
has stated in The State of The Worlds Human Rights report released
last week.
The report goes on to note, that Å"the ban on holding demonstrations
in the centre of the capital, Yerevan, which had been introduced in
March 2008 during the state of emergency, remained in place.
Amnesty report also touches on the protection of women against
violence, saying it fell short of international standards in Armenia.
Å"The government failed to provide a genuine alternative to military
service, the watchdog states detailing on a case with Jehovahs
witnesses.
Below, is the section from Amnestys report related to Armenia for
your reeference.
Background
On 19 June, the National Assembly granted an amnesty for opposition
activists imprisoned in relation to the events in Yerevan, in March
2008. The amnesty covered those who had not been charged with violent
crimes and had been sentenced to prison terms of less than five years.
Those who did not fall under the amnesty had their sentences halved.
On 1 and 2 March 2008, violent demonstrations had taken place in
Yerevan to protest against the presidential election results of 19
February, in which opposition candidate Levon Ter-Petrossian lost to
incumbent President Serzh Sargsyan.
Some progress was made in Azerbaijan-Armenian talks over the disputed
territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, a predominantly ethnic Armenian
enclave within Azerbaijan that broke away following the 1990 war. On
2 November, following talks in Moscow, Armenia and Azerbaijan signed
a joint agreement aimed at resolving the dispute on the basis of
international law.
Violence against women and girls
In its concluding observations published in February, the Committee
on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women expressed concern
about the lack of legislation referring to domestic violence and the
absence of a responsible state institution. The Committee called on
the authorities Å"to enact, without delay, legislation specifically
addressing domestic violence against women, and to provide sufficient
shelters.
A draft law on domestic violence was under discussion by the
authorities, but had not been presented to parliament by the end of
the year.
During 2009, only one shelter for victims of domestic violence,
run by the Womens Rights Centre, was operational.
Impunity
In October, four police officers were charged with using force against
members of the public during the demonstrations on 1 March 2008. By
the end of the year, no independent inquiry had been conducted
into allegations of use of force by police during the March 2008
events. In June 2008, an ad hoc parliamentary commission had been
established to investigate the events, but did not function because
the opposition refused to participate. A separate factfinding group
made up of representatives from diverse political factions and the
Ombudsperson was disbanded by presidential decree in June 2009,
before it became operational.
The prosecution in the case of the shooting of Mikael Danielian, a
human rights activist, was discontinued in May on the grounds that
the perpetrator had allegedly acted in self-defence. In May 2008,
Mikael Danielian was shot at point-blank range with a pneumatic
gun by a former leader of the pro-government Armenian Progressive
Party. Human rights groups voiced concern that key witness statements
had not been considered by the prosecution. Mikael Danielian lodged an
appeal against this decision, but no decision was made on his appeal
by the end of the year.
Freedom of expression
On 30 April, Argishti Kiviryan, a lawyer and journalist, was severely
beaten by a group of unidentified men outside his home in Yerevan. The
attackers reportedly beat him with sticks and attempted to shoot him.
The OSCE Representative for Media Freedom called on the authorities
to investigate the attack and expressed concern about the lack of
investigations into violent attacks against journalists, contributing
to a climate of impunity. In July, two suspects were detained. The
investigation was ongoing at the end of the year.
Discrimination " Jehovahs Witnesses
Alternative civilian service to conscription continued to be under
the control of the military. Conscientious objectors had to wear
military uniform, were disciplined by the Military Prosecutors office
and were forbidden to hold prayer meetings. As of 1 November, 71
Jehovahs Witnesses were serving prison sentences of 24 to 36 months
for refusing to perform military service on grounds of conscience.
In October, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that there
had not been a violation of the right to freedom of conscience
and religion when Vahan Bayatyan was sentenced to two and a half
years imprisonment for his refusal to perform military service on
religious grounds. The Court held that Å"the right of conscientious
objection was not guaranteed by any article of the Convention. In a
dissenting opinion, one of the Court judges stated that the judgement
failed to reflect the almost universal acceptance that the right
to conscientious objection is fundamental to the rights to freedom
of thought, conscience and religion. Vahan Bayatyan is currently
appealing to the Grand Chamber against this ruling.
From: A. Papazian