COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN: ALL COMMITMENTS TO COUNCIL OF EUROPE FULFILLED BUT ON PAPER

Panorama.am
17:51 10/12/2007

"The new phase in terms of human rights in Armenia may be divided in
two parts – before 2001 and after it.

Before the year 2001, Armenia announced commitment to human rights
and democratic values but after a short while the declaration turned
to be one thing and the reality another," Avetik Ishkhanyan, chairman
of Helsinki Committee said in a conversation with us today.

According to him, Armenia joined several key documents of U.N. on human
rights and democracy, including combat against torture. Armenia took
a reasonable number of commitments but they stayed on paper. Avetik
Ishkhanyan recalled Constitution of 1995 which devoted a whole section
to human rights but in terms of mechanisms there were many issues
to solve. "An independent judiciary was not established. It was 100%
dependant on the executive. The proclaimed democracy and protection
of human rights did not work," the law protector said.

In the words of the chairman, Armenia joined the Council of Europe
in 2001 again taking up several commitments in terms of democracy,
human rights and the country gave a big hope that in terms of
executing them it will go forward. Today all the commitments in
front of Council of Europe are fulfilled but on paper, he said. "An
independent judiciary, freedom of speech, free election – in fact,
all of these do not function.

They are only of declarative nature," Ishkhanyan claims.

Today, December 10, is the International Day of Human Rights. The
international community is celebrating 57th anniversary of the
International Day of Human Rights.