Amnesty International Report 2007

REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA

Head of state: Robert Kocharian
Head of government: Andranik Markarian
Death penalty: abolitionist for all crimes
International Criminal Court: signed

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 Jehovah’s 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.

¢ In July the network of independent journalists Hetq Online
received threats of reprisals, including death threats, if its
journalists continued to publish articles concerning the illegal
acquisition of land for redevelopment.

Ombudsperson removed from office
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 government-led 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.

AI country reports/visits
Reports
¢ Europe and Central Asia: Summary of Amnesty International’s
concerns in the region, January-June 2006 (AI Index: EUR 01/017/2006)

¢ Commonwealth of Independent States: Positive trend on the
abolition of the death penalty but more needs to be done (AI Index:
EUR 04/003/2006)

Visit
AI delegates visited Armenia in April.