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ARMENIA'S BROADCAST MEDIA LACK PLURALISM, JOURNALISTS STILL FACING VIOLENCE - HRW
11:26 ~U 22.01.14
The Human Rights Watch has published its annual review of human rights
practices around the globe to summarize key human rights issues in
more than 90 countries and territories worldwide
The document draws on events through November 2013.
The chapter covering the situation on human rights in Armenia addresses
the presidential and municipal elections, torture and ill-treatment
in police custodies, army abuses, freedom of expression, palliative
care and the situation of sexual minorities.
The analysis of each of the issues concerned is presented below:
Presidential and Municipal Elections
International observers, led by the Organization for Security
and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), concluded that the February
presidential election "was generally well-administered" but noted
"some serious violations" of OSCE and Council of Europe standards,
such as pressure on voters. The OSCE also noted other breaches,
including public administration bias in favor of incumbents, misuse of
administrative resources, and interference by the incumbent's proxies.
Local observers reported the presence of unauthorized persons
in polling stations, numerous attempts to pressure observers and
journalists by political parties and election commission members,
and widespread ballot stuffing for the incumbent candidate.
Yerevan Mayor Taron Markaryan, a Republican Party member, won
re-election in the May 5 city council elections. Local groups observed
instances of vote buying, multiple voting, and bullying of election
observers by pro-government activists.
Freedom of Assembly and Attacks Against Activists
In August, police used force to disperse a crowd of local residents
and civic activists in central Yerevan, demanding to halt construction
of a high-rise apartment building in the city center. Police briefly
detained some 26 protesters and beat at least one as he was transported
to a police station; he required brief hospitalization. In October,
the Armenian ombudsman's office found that the police had used
disproportionate force but no disciplinary action had been taken at
time of writing.
September saw a spate of attacks against peaceful protesters in
Yerevan, apparently intended to discourage participation in two
peaceful protests. On September 5, about six unidentified assailants
attacked Haykak Arshamyan and Suren Saghatelyan, well-known civil
society activists, as they returned from a peaceful demonstration
in front of the Republican Party headquarters where they were
protesting President Sargsyan's announcement that Armenia would join
the Russia-led customs union. Saghatelyan suffered a broken nose,
requiring surgery and hospitalization, and Arshamyan was treated for
multiple bruises.
On September 4, about 10 unidentified assailants attacked activist
Arman Alexanyan after he left a sit-in at the municipal building to
protest a temporary price increase in municipal transport fares. He
was hospitalized briefly for bruises and head trauma. On August 25,
about six unidentified assailants attacked two activists, Babken Der
Grigoryan and Mihran Margaryan, shortly after they left the municipal
building protest. Investigations were pending at time of writing.
The Women's Resource Center, a nongovernmental rights organization,
has faced an increasing number of threats by nationalist groups,
including Facebook comments by users who threatened to blow it up
and slit the throats of its activists. While these threats have been
reported to the police, authorities had yet to investigate at time
of writing. In November, authorities arrested Shant Harutyunyan,
an opposition leader, and 13 activists, after they clashed with riot
police following an attempted march to the presidential administration
building. The government claims that the group intended to forcibly
occupy the building. At time of writing, all those detained
remained in pretrial custody, facing criminal charges of violence
against the authorities. Harutyunyan claimed that police officials
physically abused him in custody, but authorities have not initiated
an investigation into the allegations. In late November, a Yerevan
court ordered Harutyunyan be sent to a psychiatric institution for
a forced examination.
Torture and Ill-Treatment in Custody
According to local human rights defenders, torture and ill-treatment
in police custody persist, and the definition of torture in Armenian
law does not meet international standards, as it does not include
crimes committed by public officials.
Authorities often refuse to investigate allegations of ill-treatment
or pressure victims to retract complaints. Police use torture to
coerce confessions and incriminating statements from suspects and
witnesses. For example, Artur Karapetyan, detained in October 2012
on charges of illegal drug distribution, complained of police abuse
in custody. According to his lawyer, Karapetyan showed him wounds on
his feet that he said were from a beating. Although Karapetyan was
released in December and the charges against him dropped in April
2013, police failed to conduct an effective investigation into his
ill-treatment allegations.
In November 2012, Mger Andreasyan testified in a local court that
Yerevan police officers severely beat him after his arrest on
robbery charges. Andreasyan stated that, unable to bear sustained
beatings, he attempted suicide by using his head to break a window
in the investigator's office and trying to jump out, but police
prevented him. Although a Yerevan court dropped escape charges against
Andreasyan in March, there was no investigation into his ill-treatment
allegations.
Army Abuses
As of October 31, the Helsinki Citizens' Assembly Vanadzor office
had reported 29 noncombat army deaths, including 7 suicides. Local
human rights groups have documented the Defense Ministry's failure
to investigate adequately and expose the circumstances of noncombat
deaths and to account for evidence of violence in cases where the
death is ruled a suicide.
In June, parliament amended the law on alternative military service
to remove military supervision from alternative labor service and
reduce it from 42 to months. Local activists voiced concerns about
the amendments, including the Defense Ministry's continued role in
application decisions, vague eligibility requirements, and length of
service, which would still be longer than regular military service. By
mid-November, 33 Jehovah's Witnesses who had been convicted for
refusing alternative service were released but were still required
to perform alternative service.
Freedom of Expression
Armenia has diverse print and online media, but broadcast media lacks
pluralism; for example, only 1 of Armenia's 13 television stations
carries live political talk shows. International election observers
noted the media's "selective approach" in covering post-presidential
election developments, notably limiting views critical of the conduct
of the election.
The Committee to Protect Freedom of Expression, a local media
monitoring group, reported six instances of physical violence against
journalists during the first half of 2013. In one case, several young
men forcibly prevented Artak Hambardzumyan, from Journalists for Human
Rights, from documenting alleged ballot box stuffing in Artashat during
the presidential election. As of June, the committee had documented
34 instances of pressure on media outlets and journalists.
Palliative Care
Armenia's complicated and time-consuming prescription and procurement
procedures for opioid medications obstruct the delivery of adequate
palliative care, condemning most terminally ill patients to unnecessary
suffering. Although morphine is a safe, effective, and inexpensive
way to improve the lives of terminally ill people, Armenia's current
consumption levels of morphine and alternative strong opioid medicines
are insufficient to provide care to all terminally ill cancer patients,
leaving many without adequate pain relief during the last stages of
their illness.
Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
Local lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights activists
have expressed concern for the alarming level of homophobia
in Armenia. According to PINK Armenia, a local rights group,
transgender women who engage in sex work are frequently assaulted and
receive no police protection when they report abuse. PINK Armenia
also reported that the LGBT population continues to experience
employment discrimination, obstacles to health care, and physical
and psychological abuse in the army, in public, and in families.
According to an August Amnesty International report, government
officials frequently condone violent attacks against LGBT people,
characterizing the violence as an expression of "traditional values."
In July, the Armenian police made a proposal to amend the code of
administrative offenses to establish a fine of up to US$4,000 for
promoting "nontraditional sexual relationships." The proposal was
subsequently withdrawn.
Also in July, a Yerevan court convicted two people for damage to
property stemming from a bomb attack in May 2012 against DIY, a bar
frequented by LGBT and women's rights activists. Graffiti identified
LGBT people as targets of the attack. One attacker was sentenced to 19
months in prison and the other received a two-year suspended sentence.
They were both amnestied in October.
Local human rights groups expressed frustration that the sentence
was too lenient. Armenia does not have hate speech legislation.
http://www.tert.am/en/news/2014/01/22/hrw-report/
11:26 ~U 22.01.14
The Human Rights Watch has published its annual review of human rights
practices around the globe to summarize key human rights issues in
more than 90 countries and territories worldwide
The document draws on events through November 2013.
The chapter covering the situation on human rights in Armenia addresses
the presidential and municipal elections, torture and ill-treatment
in police custodies, army abuses, freedom of expression, palliative
care and the situation of sexual minorities.
The analysis of each of the issues concerned is presented below:
Presidential and Municipal Elections
International observers, led by the Organization for Security
and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), concluded that the February
presidential election "was generally well-administered" but noted
"some serious violations" of OSCE and Council of Europe standards,
such as pressure on voters. The OSCE also noted other breaches,
including public administration bias in favor of incumbents, misuse of
administrative resources, and interference by the incumbent's proxies.
Local observers reported the presence of unauthorized persons
in polling stations, numerous attempts to pressure observers and
journalists by political parties and election commission members,
and widespread ballot stuffing for the incumbent candidate.
Yerevan Mayor Taron Markaryan, a Republican Party member, won
re-election in the May 5 city council elections. Local groups observed
instances of vote buying, multiple voting, and bullying of election
observers by pro-government activists.
Freedom of Assembly and Attacks Against Activists
In August, police used force to disperse a crowd of local residents
and civic activists in central Yerevan, demanding to halt construction
of a high-rise apartment building in the city center. Police briefly
detained some 26 protesters and beat at least one as he was transported
to a police station; he required brief hospitalization. In October,
the Armenian ombudsman's office found that the police had used
disproportionate force but no disciplinary action had been taken at
time of writing.
September saw a spate of attacks against peaceful protesters in
Yerevan, apparently intended to discourage participation in two
peaceful protests. On September 5, about six unidentified assailants
attacked Haykak Arshamyan and Suren Saghatelyan, well-known civil
society activists, as they returned from a peaceful demonstration
in front of the Republican Party headquarters where they were
protesting President Sargsyan's announcement that Armenia would join
the Russia-led customs union. Saghatelyan suffered a broken nose,
requiring surgery and hospitalization, and Arshamyan was treated for
multiple bruises.
On September 4, about 10 unidentified assailants attacked activist
Arman Alexanyan after he left a sit-in at the municipal building to
protest a temporary price increase in municipal transport fares. He
was hospitalized briefly for bruises and head trauma. On August 25,
about six unidentified assailants attacked two activists, Babken Der
Grigoryan and Mihran Margaryan, shortly after they left the municipal
building protest. Investigations were pending at time of writing.
The Women's Resource Center, a nongovernmental rights organization,
has faced an increasing number of threats by nationalist groups,
including Facebook comments by users who threatened to blow it up
and slit the throats of its activists. While these threats have been
reported to the police, authorities had yet to investigate at time
of writing. In November, authorities arrested Shant Harutyunyan,
an opposition leader, and 13 activists, after they clashed with riot
police following an attempted march to the presidential administration
building. The government claims that the group intended to forcibly
occupy the building. At time of writing, all those detained
remained in pretrial custody, facing criminal charges of violence
against the authorities. Harutyunyan claimed that police officials
physically abused him in custody, but authorities have not initiated
an investigation into the allegations. In late November, a Yerevan
court ordered Harutyunyan be sent to a psychiatric institution for
a forced examination.
Torture and Ill-Treatment in Custody
According to local human rights defenders, torture and ill-treatment
in police custody persist, and the definition of torture in Armenian
law does not meet international standards, as it does not include
crimes committed by public officials.
Authorities often refuse to investigate allegations of ill-treatment
or pressure victims to retract complaints. Police use torture to
coerce confessions and incriminating statements from suspects and
witnesses. For example, Artur Karapetyan, detained in October 2012
on charges of illegal drug distribution, complained of police abuse
in custody. According to his lawyer, Karapetyan showed him wounds on
his feet that he said were from a beating. Although Karapetyan was
released in December and the charges against him dropped in April
2013, police failed to conduct an effective investigation into his
ill-treatment allegations.
In November 2012, Mger Andreasyan testified in a local court that
Yerevan police officers severely beat him after his arrest on
robbery charges. Andreasyan stated that, unable to bear sustained
beatings, he attempted suicide by using his head to break a window
in the investigator's office and trying to jump out, but police
prevented him. Although a Yerevan court dropped escape charges against
Andreasyan in March, there was no investigation into his ill-treatment
allegations.
Army Abuses
As of October 31, the Helsinki Citizens' Assembly Vanadzor office
had reported 29 noncombat army deaths, including 7 suicides. Local
human rights groups have documented the Defense Ministry's failure
to investigate adequately and expose the circumstances of noncombat
deaths and to account for evidence of violence in cases where the
death is ruled a suicide.
In June, parliament amended the law on alternative military service
to remove military supervision from alternative labor service and
reduce it from 42 to months. Local activists voiced concerns about
the amendments, including the Defense Ministry's continued role in
application decisions, vague eligibility requirements, and length of
service, which would still be longer than regular military service. By
mid-November, 33 Jehovah's Witnesses who had been convicted for
refusing alternative service were released but were still required
to perform alternative service.
Freedom of Expression
Armenia has diverse print and online media, but broadcast media lacks
pluralism; for example, only 1 of Armenia's 13 television stations
carries live political talk shows. International election observers
noted the media's "selective approach" in covering post-presidential
election developments, notably limiting views critical of the conduct
of the election.
The Committee to Protect Freedom of Expression, a local media
monitoring group, reported six instances of physical violence against
journalists during the first half of 2013. In one case, several young
men forcibly prevented Artak Hambardzumyan, from Journalists for Human
Rights, from documenting alleged ballot box stuffing in Artashat during
the presidential election. As of June, the committee had documented
34 instances of pressure on media outlets and journalists.
Palliative Care
Armenia's complicated and time-consuming prescription and procurement
procedures for opioid medications obstruct the delivery of adequate
palliative care, condemning most terminally ill patients to unnecessary
suffering. Although morphine is a safe, effective, and inexpensive
way to improve the lives of terminally ill people, Armenia's current
consumption levels of morphine and alternative strong opioid medicines
are insufficient to provide care to all terminally ill cancer patients,
leaving many without adequate pain relief during the last stages of
their illness.
Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
Local lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights activists
have expressed concern for the alarming level of homophobia
in Armenia. According to PINK Armenia, a local rights group,
transgender women who engage in sex work are frequently assaulted and
receive no police protection when they report abuse. PINK Armenia
also reported that the LGBT population continues to experience
employment discrimination, obstacles to health care, and physical
and psychological abuse in the army, in public, and in families.
According to an August Amnesty International report, government
officials frequently condone violent attacks against LGBT people,
characterizing the violence as an expression of "traditional values."
In July, the Armenian police made a proposal to amend the code of
administrative offenses to establish a fine of up to US$4,000 for
promoting "nontraditional sexual relationships." The proposal was
subsequently withdrawn.
Also in July, a Yerevan court convicted two people for damage to
property stemming from a bomb attack in May 2012 against DIY, a bar
frequented by LGBT and women's rights activists. Graffiti identified
LGBT people as targets of the attack. One attacker was sentenced to 19
months in prison and the other received a two-year suspended sentence.
They were both amnestied in October.
Local human rights groups expressed frustration that the sentence
was too lenient. Armenia does not have hate speech legislation.
http://www.tert.am/en/news/2014/01/22/hrw-report/