ACCORDING TO ARMENIAN OMBUDSMAN, NUMBER ONE PROBLEM OF 2006 WAS ACTIVITIES OF YEREVAN MAYOR’S OFFICE
Noyan Tapan
Apr 05 2007
YEREVAN, APRIL 5, NOYAN TAPAN. Human rights violations are system ones
in Armenia, the RA Ombudsman Armen Harutyunian believes. Presenting
the 2006 annual report on the human rights situation in Armenia,
A. Harutyunian expressed concern that the country’s institutional
system of state bodies is orientated towards itself rather than
citizens and their rights. "In many cases examples show that an
autonomous system has formed, while citizens with their rights have
been left out of it," the ombudsman said.
According to him, in 2006 courts were in first place by the number of
complaints received, Yerevan mayor’s office – in second place, followed
by the police, prosecutor’s office and justice bodies. In 2005, Yerevan
mayor’s office was in first place, followed by the police and courts.
In the opinion of A. Harutyunian, number one problem of 2006
was Yerevan mayor’s office activities. It was decided to keep
these activities under control in 2007 too. In case of necessity,
the omudsman is ready to make special reports on this subject. For
example, in the ombudsman’s words, the mayor allows to do construction
work in some place but construction starts in some other place, the
intermediation gives no result, while according to court decisions,
"the mayor may allow construction to be done wherever he wants." A.
Harutyunian also expressed concern at the fact that over the past
4-5 years, no citizen has won a lawsuit in connection with property
alienation process.
According to statistical data, in 2006, the RA Ombudsman’s Office
received 6,500 applications, which, in the opinion of A. Harutyunian,
is a huge number.
243 applications got positive solution. In 2005, there were 4,200
applications, with 208 getting postive solution.