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Armenia in 2010: the persistence of impunity for human rights abuses


* Armenia - Amnesty International Report 2010

Armenia - Amnesty International Report 2010
Human Rights in REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA

The year was marked by persistent impunity for human rights abuses. Freedom of expression was restricted and journalists were assaulted. Enacted in March 2008 during a state of emergency, ban on demonstrations in the center of the capital, Yerevan, has remained in force. Provisions to protect women and girls against violence were far from meeting international standards. The government has offered no real alternative to military service. Background June 19, the National Assembly has granted amnesty to opposition activists who were jailed in connection with the events of March 2008 in Yerevan. The amnesty was not applied to persons accused of violent crimes and sentenced to less than five years imprisonment. Those who do not fall within the scope of the amnesty were given the length of their sentences halved. 1 and 2 March 2008, violent demonstrations took place in Yerevan to denounce the results of presidential elections on 19 February, which ended in the defeat of opposition candidate Levon Ter Petrosian to face incumbent President Serge Sarkisian.
negotiations with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh have made some progress, this enclave in disputed territory Azerbaijan is populated mostly by ethnic Armenians and seceded after the armed conflict of 1990. November 2, following discussions that took place in Moscow, Armenia and Azerbaijan have signed an agreement to settle their disputes in accordance with international law.
Violence against women and girls

In its concluding observations published in February, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women [UN] expressed concern about the lack of laws specific domestic violence and the lack governmental institutions competent in this area. The Committee requested the authorities to "adopt without delay legislation on domestic violence against women" and to open shelters in sufficient numbers.

authorities have worked on a draft law on the subject, but no text had been submitted to Parliament at the end of the year. In 2009, only one property, run by the Centre for Women's Rights, was able to accommodate victims of domestic violence. Impunity

In October, four policemen been charged with using force against civilians during the protests of March 1, 2008. At the end of the year, no independent investigation had been conducted on these supposed facts.

The committee created in June 2008 to investigate the case has not been able to do so because the opposition refused to participate. Another group, responsible for establishing the facts and composed of representatives of various political parties and the mediator, was dissolved by presidential decree in June 2009, before he could begin work. * In the matter
Mikael Danielian, a human rights defender assaulted with firearms, the charges were dropped in May on the grounds that the author of the shot would have acted in self defense. In May 2008, a former leader of the Progressive Party of Armenia, pro-government, Mikael Danielian was shot at close range with an airgun. Groups of human rights defenders have complained that some key witnesses were not considered by the prosecution. Mikael Danielian has appealed the ruling but the Court of Appeal did still pending at the end of the year.

Freedom of expression


* On April 30, lawyer and journalist Argishti Kiviryan was beaten with a stick outside his home in Yerevan by unidentified individuals. His assailants then allegedly tried to shoot him. The Representative on Freedom of the Media of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) called on authorities to investigate the facts and expressed concern at the lack of investigations about violent attacks on journalists, who helped create a climate of impunity. At the end of the year, the trial of two suspects who were detained in July was not finished.


Discrimination - Jehovah's Witnesses


The alternative civilian service of conscription continued to be controlled by the army. Required to wear military uniform, conscientious objectors were under the command of the military prosecutor and had no right to hold prayer meetings. On 1st November, 71 Jehovah's Witnesses were serving sentences ranging from 24 to 36 months in prison because they refused to perform military service for reasons of conscience.

In October, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that the conviction of Vahan Bayatyan two and a half years imprisonment for his refusal to perform military duty for religious reasons do not violate the right to freedom of conscience and religion. The Court held that the right to conscientious objection was guaranteed by any section of the European Convention on Human Rights. Expressing a dissenting opinion, one of the judges said that the decision did not reflect the fact that the right to conscientious objection was almost universally recognized as a fundamental right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. Vahan Bayatyan appealed the ruling to the Grand Chamber.
Source:
http://www.amnesty.org/fr/region/armenia/report-2010