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“Human rights in Armenia are in crisis,” said today RA Ombudsman Armen
Harutyunyan as he presented the 2008 human rights report. His report is composed
of 275 pages underlining the gravity of the situation. The report does not
include the events that followed the elections because, as Harutyunyan noted,
thare was a special report and the assessments haven’t changed. In 2008, the
Ombudsman’s office received 5800 complaints of which only 429 have been
considered.

Armen Harutyunyan said that the freedom to hold rallies has been violated last
year. The city council has banned more than 90 rallies and what the Ombudsman
doesn’t understand is the reason for the authorities banning the rallies. Armen
Harutyunyan touched upon the issue of assaults against journalists and brought
up the example of the assault on journalist of “Chorrort Ishkhanutyun” Gohar
Veziryan whose attackers remain unpunished. As for the violation of the right of
assets, Armen Harutyunyan recalled that all files are being upheld in the
European Court.

As for the attitude of the society and the political parties towards the
institute of the Ombudsman, Armen Harutyunyan said that there is pressure from
both the authorities and the opposition.

“The society is more tolerant today than the political parties,” said Armen
Harutyunyan in closing.

The Ombudsman had also come up with an award for one journalist and one
political figure for showing and instilling tolerance. The awards went to
journalist of “Aravot” daily Anna Israelyan and former Ombudsman, current
“Heritage” faction deputy Larisa Alaverdyan who, according to Harutyunyan,
always gives correct criticism.