Thomas Hammarberg, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, is concerned that the events of March 1, 2008 are not revealed, pluralism of mass media is not provided and human rights are violated in armed forces. These issues were included in the agenda of his visit to Armenia and they will be reflected in his report due in the coming months.

"The fact that circumstances of 10 people's death have not been revealed is a serious failure and is equivalent to impunity," Thomas Hammarberg announced at press conference on January 21.

He is concerned that there are still people in penal institutions arrested in connection with the March 1 events. "I have discussed these cases with the authorities and appealed for their release," Hammarberg said. Reporters tried to find out if authorities promised to release them. 

"I have the impression that they are thinking on the issue," the Commissioner answered briefly.      

He avoided using the term "political prisoner" stating that there is no such term in the international agreement on human rights. However, he did not exclude that the arrest of opposition activists had a "political subtext".

"I feel that these people should not be kept in prison because the sentences against them had a political consideration, political dimension behind them," he said.

The Commissioner for Human Rights also mentioned that actions of the police during the March 1 events were not professional. While meeting with the Deputy Head of Police he raised the issue of professional training of policemen.   

Hammarberg has met with Nikol Pashinyan, editor-in-chief of "Haykakan Zhamanak" daily, who is kept at "Artik" penitentiary, talked to him and has the impression that Pashinyan "had prepared very well" for the meeting with him. "I will naturally touch upon his condition in my report," he said. As for his meeting with oppositional activist Sasun Mikayelyan, Hammarberg was brief: "He has problems with his heart, and I would like him to be released."

Hammarberg noted that he was concerned also with non-combat incidents in the armed forces. He had met with families of victims that died in army. In his opinion, to solve the problem in the army, strict order has to be established and incidents have to be responded adequately.  

"There are concerns connected with the lack of pluralism in media," Thomas Hammarberg said, adding that he had talked to the head of National TV and Radio Committee mainly about A1+ and GALA TV companies;  he also got to know approaches of TV companies deprived of broadcasting rights on these issues.

At the end, the Commissioner for Human Rights told the reporters that he would prepare a report in the coming months also offering concrete recommendations to solve the above problems.      

Mary Alexanyan

Source: www.hra.am