OMBUDSWOMAN TO TRACK DOWN VIOLATIONS
By A.V.
AZG Armenian Daily #083, 07/05/2005
Social cards
Mass media has already informed about the cases of holding Armenian
citizens’ wages and pensions for not having social cards. A
considerable part of these people rejects social cards not to give
up their religious convictions.
A separate section (3.11) in RA ombudswoman’s “Annual Report” on
fundamental violations of human rights in Armenia in 2004 deals with
violation of liberty of conscience, speech and religion. Though the
report does not reveal the anti-constitutional trend of the law on
“cards of social security”, it is still praiseworthy that Larisa
Alaverdian, the ombudswoman, did not pass by this issue. We can hope
that Mrs. Alaverdian will touch upon this issue in her special report
which is soon to be released. If the Ministry of Social Security will
still jib at making changes in the law after all, the ombudswoman will
have to include ministers name in the list of officials continuously
ignoring human rights and fundamental freedoms.