January

12-18, 2009

The week was full of events concerning human rights issues and obligations
of Armenia to the Council of Europe.

On January 12, Freedom House released the findings from the
latest edition of
Freedom in the World, the annual survey of global political rights and
civil liberties. Armenia considered “partially free” country. The rate of
political rights of Armenia reduced from 5 to 6.

On January 15 the
Human
Rights Watch published it's annual World report, in which stated
that Armenia experienced one of its most serious civil and political rights
crises since independence.

The Armenian Audit Chamber published the report on inexpedient use of budget
resources or infringements.
The focus of the
Chamber's attention was the ecology issues and it was announced that in
surrounding of Lake Sevan only 25 out of 412 buildings are legal.

On December 30, Speaker of the RA
National Assembly Hovik Abrahamyan submitted a letter to the parliaments of
Council of Europe member-states and suggested to vote against the resolution
regarding the suspension of the voting right of Armenia in PACE during the
January session. This week the Armenian newspapers published the letter and it
appeared that in the letter written on behalf of the RA NA Speaker in Russian

there are numerous grammatical mistakes. Couple of days later Head of the NA
Speaker staff and Head of the Informational department was dismissed from their
positions. 

On January 15 Co-rapporteurs of the PACE Monitoring Committee
John Prescott and
Georges Colombier visited Armenia.

On 13 January the European Court of Human Rights satisfied three suites
against Armenia. The applicants complained about their administrative penalties
for having participated in unauthorised demonstrations in February 2003.

By the decision of the Court the article 11, the right to freedom of
peaceful assembly and to freedom of association of the European Convention of
Human Rights has been violated.

Gyumri based "Gala" TV channel which became a target of authorities' attacks
after allocating the broadcast to the opposition, being imposed to pay 29
million drams fine and won thanks to the donation of citizens is again under the
encroachments. Gyumri town authorities demand illogically high rental price. The
suite is lodged in the court.




RA Human Rights Defender Armen Harutyunyan and "Heritage" party requested
to assign the official investigation to determine who applied violence towards
several defendants of March cases and case of 7 in "Nubarashen"
criminal-executive institution. The case of  7 was continued with several
delays, the hearing is not started yet. On January 16 near the court building
where the trial of case of 7 takes place, there
were clashes between the Police forces and supporter and relatives of the
defendants of the case of 7.