ARMEN HARUTYUNYAN: NEUTRALITY IS HARDLY EXPECTED

Aysor
Sept 18 2009
Armenia

"Impartial report is a little bit hardly expected from the commission
consisted of political forces," said at today’s press-conference
Armenia’s human rights defender Armen Harutyunyan about the official
conclusion of Temporary Parliamentary Committee on investigation of
March 1-2 events.

"Definitely, from the early beginning to the end they were trying
to spare Public Prosecutors Office. Almost nothing was said about
torture. Public Prosecutors Office promised results nonetheless
still nothing."

In Mr. Harutyunyan’s assessment, all the negative examples are given
from the opposition’s side, thus, "balance is not sustained". The
Ombudsman noted there was not a single word about an emergency that
opposition media exposed. Only police speaks as can’t stay silent
but Public Prosecutors Office keeps silence. The Ombudsman considers
it strange.

Speaking about positive conclusions of Temporary Parliamentary
Committee’s report, Mr. Harutyunyan noted that it contains those
key weaknesses that were identified in the Ombudsman’s report: force
against citizens and non-identified guns.

"That is, they avoided a number of questions; however, some of them
had been definitely marked," said Mr. Harutyunyan.

Human rights defender noted that the report was one-sided; however,
in terms of special issues turned objective in summary. It definitely
shows that March 1-2 events had systemic and institutional features.