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ECTHR IMPOSES ~@112,000 FINE ON ARMENIA OVER JEHOVA'S WITNESSES' CASE
http://www.tert.am/en/news/2012/11/28/ehovayi-vka-evradataran/
21:21 ~U 28.11.12
The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has imposed a fine
of ~@112,000 on the Armenian authorities over a ruling against
conscientious objectors.
According to the Court's official website, the applicants in
Khachatryan and Others v. Armenia are 19 Armenian nationals who are
Jehovah's Witnesses. Having applied to the authorities to perform
alternative labor service instead of military service on religious
grounds under the 2004 Alternative Service Act, they were each assigned
to perform the service in various institutions such as hospitals,
nursing homes and dispensaries. In May and June 2005, they respectively
informed those institutions that, since the alternative service was
under the control of the military, they could not continue to serve
in good conscience, and subsequently left their places of service.
Placed in detention for several months following criminal proceedings
brought against them for abandoning their service institutions - which
had eventually been discontinued - 17 of the applicants complained
that they had been detained for an act which had not constituted an
offence at the time, in breach of Article 5 § 1 (right to liberty and
security) of the European Convention on Human Rights. Further relying
in particular on Article 5 § 5 (right to compensation for unlawful
detention) they complained that they had been denied compensation
for their unlawful detention.
Under the ruling, the authorities are to pay ~@ 6,000 (non-pecuniary
damage) to each of the 17applicants and EUR 10,000 (costs and expenses)
jointly to the 17 applicants.
Commenting on the decision, Armenian military expert Arkadi Grigoryan
said the Court's ruling, which actually encourages those evading the
military, places the issue on a different platform.
"I am very sorry that those adhering to European values do not
perceive our situation, and encourage representatives of dissident
organizations," he told Tert.am.
Speaking to our reporter, a spokesperson for Armenia's Ministry of
Defense, Artsrun Hovhannisyan, expressed concerns that people in
Armenia may resort to such steps, abandoning their role in Armenia's
security.
Since January 2007, the ECtHR ruling have caused the Armenian
Government to pay a total of over ~@200,000 to claimants at the expanse
of the taxpaers. Another ~@40,000, imposed on the authorities under
recent rulings, has yet to be paid.
http://www.tert.am/en/news/2012/11/28/ehovayi-vka-evradataran/
21:21 ~U 28.11.12
The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has imposed a fine
of ~@112,000 on the Armenian authorities over a ruling against
conscientious objectors.
According to the Court's official website, the applicants in
Khachatryan and Others v. Armenia are 19 Armenian nationals who are
Jehovah's Witnesses. Having applied to the authorities to perform
alternative labor service instead of military service on religious
grounds under the 2004 Alternative Service Act, they were each assigned
to perform the service in various institutions such as hospitals,
nursing homes and dispensaries. In May and June 2005, they respectively
informed those institutions that, since the alternative service was
under the control of the military, they could not continue to serve
in good conscience, and subsequently left their places of service.
Placed in detention for several months following criminal proceedings
brought against them for abandoning their service institutions - which
had eventually been discontinued - 17 of the applicants complained
that they had been detained for an act which had not constituted an
offence at the time, in breach of Article 5 § 1 (right to liberty and
security) of the European Convention on Human Rights. Further relying
in particular on Article 5 § 5 (right to compensation for unlawful
detention) they complained that they had been denied compensation
for their unlawful detention.
Under the ruling, the authorities are to pay ~@ 6,000 (non-pecuniary
damage) to each of the 17applicants and EUR 10,000 (costs and expenses)
jointly to the 17 applicants.
Commenting on the decision, Armenian military expert Arkadi Grigoryan
said the Court's ruling, which actually encourages those evading the
military, places the issue on a different platform.
"I am very sorry that those adhering to European values do not
perceive our situation, and encourage representatives of dissident
organizations," he told Tert.am.
Speaking to our reporter, a spokesperson for Armenia's Ministry of
Defense, Artsrun Hovhannisyan, expressed concerns that people in
Armenia may resort to such steps, abandoning their role in Armenia's
security.
Since January 2007, the ECtHR ruling have caused the Armenian
Government to pay a total of over ~@200,000 to claimants at the expanse
of the taxpaers. Another ~@40,000, imposed on the authorities under
recent rulings, has yet to be paid.