RA HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER CALLS FOR DIALOGUE

Noyan Tapan
March 12, 2008

YEREVAN, MARCH 12, NOYAN TAPAN. It is difficult to imagine another
way but dialogue after the decision of the Constitutional Court on
the presidential elections. This conviction was expressed by Armen
Haroutiunian, the RA Human Rights Defender, during the meeting
organized in the National Press Club on March 12.

"Today, the main problem set in front of all of us is the unification
of society. Society cannot be allowed to remain split. The problem is
not this or that political figure but the restoration of unification of
society, which is possible only through dialogue," Armen Haroutiunian
mentioned.

According to him, among political figures only the newly-elected
President has made a suggestion for dialogue up to now.

According to Armen Haroutiunian, a political dialogue does not mean
that those, who have committed a crime and broken the rights of other
people, are to remain unpunished. He mentioned that under cnditions
of irrational development of political processes there are always
elements inclined to committing criminally punishable deeds and
breaking the public order in all the countries.

The Human Rights Defender did not agree to the proclaimings of certain
media, according to which the above-mentioned elements prevail among
the demonstrators. "Mainly people, who had come to express their
civil disagreement, had gathered in the vicinity of the Embassy of
France and the latters made a majority. They should not be identified
with people, who have committed criminally punishable deeds. Law
enforcement bodies should take this circumstance into consideration,"
Armen Haroutiunian mentioned.

In his words, he as a witness of the March 1 incidents believe that
it was inevitable to declare a state of emergency. As regards the
restrictions put by the decree of the President, Armen Haroutiunian
welcomed the elimination of some of them and considered as primary
the elimination of the restrictions of the activities of mass media.

The Human Rights Defender also stressed the inaddmissibility of the
violation of the rights of the people, who are detained and put
under arrest, as well as the manifestation of wilfulness towards
them. According to him, the Office of Human Rights has formed three
groups, which will submit to monitoring, correspondingly, the problems
connected with freedom of speech, the rights of people, who are put
under arrest and receive treatment in hospitals.