NGO’S LAUNCH SERIES OF NEWS CONFERENCES

Lragir
Oct 10 2007
Armenia

A group of Armenian NGOs advocating human rights launched a series
of news conferences on October 10 which they will hold once every two
weeks. The first in the series was held by the chair of the Regional
Development Center Amalia Kostanyan, the chair of the Helsinki
Committee Avetik Ishkhanyan and the chair of the Vanadzor office of
the Committee Arthur Sakunts.

The purpose of the news conferences is to raise the problems that exist
in the country, from army to education. In the first news conference
the speakers mentioned a number of cases of violation of human rights
which are reported by the media and are made known to the public but
do not seem to move the officials.

Avetik Ishkhanyan and Arthur Sakunts raised the issue of violation
of the rights of inmates at penitentiaries. Avetik Ishkhanyan thinks
the commissions set up at the penitentiaries should be dissolved for
they are not effective and do not protect the rights of inmates.

Arthur Sakunts told how law enforcers used violence against several
dozens of citizens of Vanadzor to get desirable evidence on the
assassination of the prosecutor of the region of Lori.