Committee to Protect Journalists

Attacks on the Press 2004 - Armenia

[16.03.2005]

Find full text of the report
Attacks on the
Press 2004 - Armenia


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Prominent Anti-Semite Handed Suspended Jail Term

[18.03.2005]

An Armenian ultranationalist politician notorious for his anti-Semitic discourse
walked free on Friday after receiving a suspended three-year prison sentence for
inciting ethnic hatred.

A district court in Yerevan convicted Armen Avetisian, leader of a small party
called the Armenian Aryan Union, under a clause in Armenia’s Criminal Code that
calls for between 3 and 6 years’ imprisonment for such offenses. The presiding
judge, Gayane Karakhanian, said at the end of the two-day trial that Avetisian
will not be sent to prison because he has not had a criminal record before, took
part in the war with Azerbaijan and has three underage children.

Dozens of Avetisian supporters that again packed the courtroom greeted his
release with nationalist songs.

Avetisian was arrested two months ago and kept in custody until the end of the
trial following a series of media interviews in which he attacked Jews and
called for their expulsion from Armenia. The anti-Semitic remarks have been
condemned by the leaders of Armenia’s small Jewish community. The politician
also figured in the U.S. State Department’s report on global anti-Semitism that
was released earlier in January.

Avetisian caused a greater stir on the Armenian political stage by regularly
threatening to publicize what he described as a list of government officials
with a non-traditional sexual orientation. Last December he claimed to have sent
that list to President Robert Kocharian and Prime Andranik Markarian, demanding
the ouster of all allegedly homosexual officials. He never named names, however.


The court ruling means that Avetisian could still be forced to serve his jail
term if he is found to again break the law in the next two years.


http://new.csi.am/eng/index1.php?goto=news&id=1931


http://new.csi.am/eng/index1.php?goto=news&id=1925

OSCE and Council of Europe Experts Discuss Freedom of Assembly Legislation
with Armenian Authorities

[18.03.2005]

Experts from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights and
the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe met yesterday with the Armenian
authorities for consultations on amendments to the Armenian law on Conducting
Gatherings, Meetings, Rallies and Demonstrations.

Both organizations have made suggestions as to how the legislation, adopted in
April 2004, can be brought into compliance with international standards. These
consultations are a part of a wide-ranging co-operation between the Venice
Commission and the OSCE/ODIHR on legislative reviews and support in a number of
countries.


http://new.csi.am/eng/index1.php?goto=news&id=1926

Parliament Panel Rebuffs Government Over Ombudsman Rights

[18.03.2005]

A key parliament committee rejected on Friday a government proposal to curtail
the powers of Armenia’s top official in charge of human rights protection.


http://new.csi.am/eng/index1.php?goto=news&id=1928



Act of Complain in Defense of the Buildings Subject to State Protection

[21.03.2005]

«Some years later when we want to tell that the city of Yerevan is not a
newly-built one, but has a history of at least 2 centuries, we simply will not
be able to. Well, of course we can prepare albums of photos, historical
references...

But the city itself will lose that historical layer. Together with he historical
layer, it will lose the main Yerevanian atmosphere, another color of the
Yerevanian mood», this was the announcement made by the Committee organized an
action of complaint in Yerevan on March 22.

«And then it will gradually be replaced by a false veil of pseudo-elite, by the
Armenian understanding of Euro-reconstruction.

But the city is not «reconstructed», there is a special term about it – urban
development, which is regulated by laws. Quite a simple system, which is ignored
from beginning to end».


http://new.csi.am/eng/index1.php?goto=news&id=1929

New Source of Corruption?

[22.03.2005]

Henceforth a special commission will decide where and under what conditions the
prisoners are to serve their sentence. «As the members of the
juridical-executive institutions are in contacts with the convicts they can
better determine a proper regime. Member of the first chief directorate of the
CE department on legal issues Lulietta Kasa stated at the expert meeting that
started today.


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