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| 20:11:54 | 25-05-2005 | Official |
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL REPORT 2005
During 2004, the human rights of ordinary men, women and children were
disregarded or grossly abused in every corner of the globe. Economic
interests, political hypocrisy and socially orchestrated discrimination
continued to fan the flames of conflict around the world. The `war on
terror’ appeared more effective in eroding international human rights
principles than in countering international `terrorism’. The millions of
women who suffered gender-based violence in the home, in the community or in
war zones were largely ignored. The economic, social and cultural rights of
marginalized communities were almost entirely neglected.
This Amnesty International Report, which covers 149 countries, highlights
the failure of national governments and international organizations to deal
with human rights violations, and calls for greater international
accountability.
Armenia
Covering events from January – December 2004
The police reportedly used excessive force when they detained scores of
protesters calling for the resignation of President Robert Kocharian. Dozens
of opposition activists and supporters, including women, were reportedly
beaten and ill-treated by police. Journalists, opposition political
activists and a human rights defender were assaulted by unknown assailants.
Conscientious objectors to compulsory military service continued to be
imprisoned, despite Armenia’s commitments to the Council of Europe.
Background
>From February onwards, opposition party deputies boycotted parliament in
protest at its refusal to approve a referendum of confidence in the
President. Opposition political parties then launched a two-month campaign
of mass public protests, including street demonstrations, demanding the
President’s resignation. The authorities described the campaign as a coup
attempt and opened a criminal investigation into the opposition Artarutyun
(Justice) alliance. This investigation reportedly ended in September without
any charges being brought. The opposition denied calling for the violent
overthrow of the constitutional order. During their campaign, hundreds of
opposition supporters were detained and dozens were sentenced to 15 days’
administrative detention after trials that reportedly fell far short of
international fair trial standards.
In October the Justice Ministry finally registered the Jehovah’s Witnesses,
which had sought registration for nine years.
Police ill-treatment and excessive use of force
Scores of people were injured and detained when special police units used
water cannons and stun grenades to break up a peaceful opposition
demonstration in the capital, Yerevan, on 13 April. Four journalists
covering the demonstration were reportedly severely beaten by police. Dozens
more opposition activists and supporters, including women, were reportedly
ill-treated during armed police raids on the head offices of the main
opposition parties that same night. According to reports most of these
activists were detained in police cells for up to 48 hours. According to
human rights groups and opposition parties, those detained at the
demonstration and at party offices continued to be beaten and ill-treated at
police stations. On 28 April the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of
Europe (PACE) issued a resolution condemning the use of force by police
during the opposition protests in Armenia and calling on the authorities to
investigate alleged human rights violations and to release opposition
members. Vagharshak Harutiunian, a member of the opposition Hanrapetutiun
(Republic) party and a former Defence Minister, was held in pre-trial
detention for two months on charges of calling for the `violent overthrow of
the constitutional order’ and `publicly insulting senior government
officials’. He was released following international pressure. In an address
to PACE in June President Kocharian defended the use of force by police
against opposition activists during the 13 April demonstration.
In May Edgar Arakelian, a 24-year-old opposition activist, was sentenced to
18 months’ imprisonment for `attacking a state official performing their
duties’ during the 13 April demonstration. He admitted hitting a police
officer with an empty plastic bottle but claimed he had acted in
self-defence after the police officer had hit him, breaking his front teeth.
He alleged in court that he had been tortured in pre-trial detention. In
August the Appeals Court upheld his sentence. He was released in September
after serving a third of his sentence.
In July the Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture
(CPT) published its first report on Armenia. The report concerned the CPT’s
visit to Armenia in 2002. It concluded that people detained by police ran a
significant risk of being ill-treated, and recommended professional training
for police officers as a priority. The report also raised concerns about
overcrowding in prisons, conditions of detention for people sentenced to
life imprisonment, and shortcomings at a psychiatric hospital.
Assaults on activists
At an opposition rally on 5 April police reportedly refused to intervene
when around two dozen men, described as athletically built with shaven
heads, disrupted the event and attacked journalists, kicking and beating
them and breaking their equipment. In June a Yerevan court ordered two men
to pay a small fine for their part in the incident. Three men of a similar
description allegedly assaulted and critically injured opposition politician
Ashot Manucharian in Yerevan on 22 April. Police reportedly suspended the
investigation into the assault in June after failing to identify the
perpetrators. In September police questioned a man identified by Ashot
Manucharian as one of the perpetrators. However, no charges were brought.
Human rights activist Mikael Danielyan was attacked outside his home by four
unknown assailants on 30 March. He was reportedly punched in the head and
kicked after he fell to the ground. He believed that the attack was related
to his human rights work. President Kocharian reportedly ordered an
investigation into the attack. However, the investigation failed to identify
any perpetrators.
Conscientious objectors imprisoned
Conscientious objectors continued to be sentenced to prison, despite
parliament’s adoption in December 2003 of a law providing for unarmed
military service or alternative civilian service, and despite Council of
Europe requirements to free all those so imprisoned. The law, which provides
terms of service of punitive length for conscientious objectors, entered
into force in July.
As of the end of 2004 prison sentences of between one and two years had been
imposed on 13 men, all Jehovah’s Witnesses, as a result of their
conscientious objection. Another was fined, and a further 11 had been
released on parole.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress