AI REPORT
A1+
[08:30 pm] 23 May, 2007
Conscientious objectors continued to be imprisoned.
There were reports of intimidation of independent journalists. The
Ombudsperson was removed from her post in January by a presidential
decree that she alleged was unconstitutional.
Conscientious objectors Armenia did not release conscientious
objectors to military service, in defiance of its obligations and
commitments undertaken when acceding to the Council of Europe to
respect the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion,
and despite the introduction of an alternative civilian service to
military service in national legislation in July 2004.
Conscientious objectors continued to complain that in both its
legislative framework and implementation, Armenia’s alternative service
was under the supervision and control of the military and so did not
constitute a real civilian alternative to military service.
As of November there were reportedly 48 Jehovah’s Witnesses and one
Molokan (a member of a Russian religious minority) in detention for
draft evasion.
Forty-four of the Jehovahs Witnesses had been tried and sentenced to
terms ranging from 18 to 48 months’ imprisonment. The remaining four
were charged and awaiting trial.
In January an amendment to the criminal code was adopted making
conscripts who refuse to perform alternative service liable to
imprisonment. In May, 19 men, all Jehovah’s Witnesses, filed an appeal
with the European Court of Human Rights to prevent retrospective
prosecution for their abandonment of the alternative service in 2004.
Fifteen of the 19 applicants had been arrested in August 2005 and
sentenced to between two and three and a half years’ imprisonment
under existing articles of the criminal code dealing with desertion
from military service rather than refusal to perform alternative
service. Although their convictions were later overturned and all
were subsequently released, the courts refused to formally acquit the
men. The case was dropped in November when all 19 were acquitted and
all charges against them dropped.
In October a decision of the Court of Appeal granted a prosecutor’s
request for a stricter sentence to be handed down to Jehovah’s
Witness Hayk Avetisian. His sentence was increased from 24 to
30 months. Freedom of expression Human rights activists and the
Ombudsperson’s Office expressed concern over incidents of intimidation
and harassment against independent journalists, including two assaults,
death threats and the stoning of personal property.
On 6 September, Hovannes Galajian of the Iravunk newspaper was beaten
by two unidentified men outside his home. The attack followed the
publication of a number of articles criticizing prominent officials. b
In July the network of independent journalists Hetq Onlinereceived
threats of reprisals, including death threats, if its journalists
continued to publish articles concerning the illegal acquisition of
land for redevelopment.
Ombudsperson Larisa Alaverdian was removed from her post in January by
presidential decree and her duties entrusted to an interim three-member
commission.
She alleged that her removal and replacement were unconstitutional
because a presidential prerogative either to dismiss the Ombudsperson
or to replace that post by another body was not provided for in
Armenian law. She and other human rights activists alleged that her
removal had been prompted by her criticism of government policies and
practices. A new Ombudsperson was elected by the National Assembly
in February.
Human rights lawyer released on bail Lawyer Vahe Grigorian, known
for his advocacy work for families resisting forced eviction for
governmentled redevelopment programmes in central Yerevan, was released
on bail in February.
He had been held since October 2005 on charges of fraud which he
alleged were unfounded and politically motivated. The charges against
him were not dropped and the case was still pending at the end of
the year.