ARMENIAN OMBUDSMAN DOUBTS COMMISSION’S STATEMENT

A1+
[07:35 pm] 03 October, 2008

Armenia’s Human Rights Defender Armen Harutiunian doesn’t instill
great confidence in the NA ad hoc Commission’s statement that the
organs seen in the Opposition’s footage belong to an animal and not
to a human being. He says that such conclusions can be drawn only
after getting the results of an international examination. Therefore,
he thinks the footage should be forwarded to international experts
for a further thorough study.

The Armenian Ombudsman welcomed Serzh Sarkissian’s initiative to set
up a fact-finding panel on the March 1 events. "I wish the panel were
set up as quickly as possible and began investigation."

Armen Harutiunian also added that he had reached an agreement with the
RoA police to inform the Defender’s office about their next actions.

The Ombudsman thinks that the current scene in the country deepens the
atmosphere of intolerance in the country. "I think that the first steps
to recover the situation should be taken by the Armenian leadership."

The Defender’s Office has received some 4096 written complaints over
the past nine years. They all evidence to the fact that human rights
are mostly violated by the Police, courts, Yerevan City Hall and
finally by other state bodies.

"Our law-enforcement bodies should not beg people for trust. They
should earn confidence by their actions," concluded Armen Harutiunian.