RELIGIOUS MINORITY FACES DISCRIMINATION IN ARMENIA

Amnesty International
Jan 16 2008

Jehovah’s Witnesses in Armenia face discrimination and imprisonment
because of their beliefs, according to a new Amnesty International
report.

Many young men in the religious organization are jailed because their
faith prohibits them from doing military service, while others have
been attacked – including allegedly by supporters of the country’s
dominant religious group.

"Young male Jehovah’s Witnesses continue to be imprisoned. Since
there is no alternative civilian service in Armenia, Amnesty
International considers them prisoners of conscience and calls for
their immediate and unconditional release," said Laurence Broers,
Amnesty International’s researcher on Armenia.

There are an estimated 9,000 Jehovah’s Witnesses in Armenia. They have
been subjected to an apparently increasing number of attacks since
they gained more prominence in 2004, following their registration
as a religious organization (after a series of rejections). Amnesty
International is concerned at the authorities’ reported failure to
fully investigate and prosecute these clear human rights abuses.

The violence has coincided with increased friction with the Armenian
Apostolic Church, to which around 90 per cent of the population
formally belongs.

"The Armenian authorities are ignoring the fact that Jehovah’s
Witnesses are specifically targeted for attacks, including allegedly
by representatives of the Armenian Apostolic Church," said Laurence
Broers.

As a Council of Europe member, Armenia is obliged to provide a
genuinely civilian alternative to compulsory military service. But
Armenia’s alternative service is still under the control of the
military, making it incompatible with the beliefs of Jehovah’s
Witnesses and others. As of 26 September 2007, there were 82 Jehovah’s
Witnesses imprisoned as conscientious objectors in Armenia.

"All those wrongly imprisoned must be released immediately and
receive adequate compensation. The Armenian authorities must also
ensure that they are not denied documents necessary for them to enjoy
full rights as civilians – including the right to freedom of movement
and the rights to entry into public sector employment or marriage,"
Laurence Broers said.