ARMENIAN OMBUDSMAN PRESENTS OSCE-SUPPORTED REPORT ON HUMAN RIGHTS PROTECTION AND DISCIPLINARY POLICY IN THE ARMY

ArmInfo
2009-05-27 16:09:00

A report on human rights protection and disciplinary policy in the
armed forces of Armenia prepared by experts from the OSCE Office
in Yerevan and the Human Rights Defender’s Office was presented
today. The study looks at human rights protection in the context
of disciplinary policy in the army. It provides legal guidance in
the fields of disciplinary offences and penalties, the commanders’
responsibilities and disciplinary procedure to ensure that human
rights are protected.

"Respect for the rule of law and civil oversight over human rights
protection in the armed forces are fundamental in a democratic
society," said Carel Hofstra, Acting Head of the OSCE Office in
Yerevan. "The study aims to ensure that internal discipline measures
are applied in a fair and transparent way. Disciplinary sanctions
carry a punitive character and that puts a great responsibility
on individual commanders, and this study provides guidance on the
guarantees and recourses that should be made available."

Armen Harutyunyan, the Human Rights Defender (Ombudsman) of Armenia,
added: "This report highlights problems related to the disciplinary
legislation and practice that often cause human rights violations in
the armed forces of Armenia. I hope that the analysis and assessments
provided by the report will serve as a useful guide in reforming the
armed forces’ disciplinary regulatory framework for the benefit of
human rights protection."

The report emphasizes that offences that require disciplinary actions
must be clearly defined, and gives a range of recommendations that
commanders must consider when imposing a disciplinary penalty. It
also focuses on commanders’ responsibility to prevent offences and
ensure internal order at the army. In addition, it addresses the
correlation between access to information and confidentiality.

The study was carried out as part of co-operation between the OSCE
Office in Yerevan and the Human Rights Defender’s Office that aims
to promote democratic oversight over the armed forces in Armenia.