1. PACE. Honouring of obligations and commitments by Armenia

PACE demands remain ignored

[01.06.2004]

Ardarutyun opposition bloc issued a statement saying the authorities hadn’t
complied with PACE demands.

“The police continue to take people in custody, new arrests are recorded and the
persons detained for participation in rallies remain behind bars. No transparent
and reliable investigation has been launched into the case of violence against
rallies participants. No amendments have been made to Administrative Offences
Code. Healthy environment for media outlets’ activity hasn’t been created.
Ashtarak TV Company has been prevented from broadcasting instead. National
Unity, Republic parties and People Party property seized April 12 night hasn’t
been given back”, the statement says.


http://new.csi.am/eng/index1.php?goto=news&id=1724

2. The use of administrative arrest as a tool of
political repression.

Persecution of dissenters.



a. Opposition Man Jailed For Plastic Bottle Attack


[26.05.2004]

Edgar Arakelyan, a 24-year-old man who hit a police officer with a plastic bottle of mineral
water during the brutal dispersal of an opposition demonstration in Yerevan last
month was sentenced to 18 months in prison on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, two senior members of Armenia’s most radical opposition party were
set free after spending nearly two months in detention.

The court of first instance in Yerevan’s central administrative district handed
down the ruling at the end of Edgar Arakelian’s two-day trial, citing a clause
in the Armenian criminal code dealing with physical assaults on government
officials which do not threaten their life. The defendant’s lawyer denounced the
sentence as too harsh and vowed to appeal it.

Arakelian is a resident of a small town near the Armenian capital affiliated
with the opposition People’s Party of Armenia (HZhK). He was among dozens of
people arrested for their participation in the April 12-13 demonstration on
Marshal Baghramian Avenue leading to President Robert Kocharian’s official
residence. Scores of others were injured when the baton-wielding riot police
used water cannons, stun grenades and, according to some witness accounts,
electric-shock equipment to break up the protest.

The heavy-handed police actions were condemned by the New York-based Human
Rights Watch. “The Armenian government is repeating the same sorts of abuses
that called into question the legitimacy of last year’s election and sparked the
protests in the first place,” Rachel Denber, acting executive director of the
New York-based group’s New Europe and Central Asia division, said in a statement
on May 4.

Arakelian is the third opposition activist jailed on criminal charges since the
start of the opposition campaign of street protests against President Robert
Kocharian. Two other HZhK members were sentenced earlier this month to one year
and 9 months in prison for clashing with government supporters and plainclothes
police officers that tried to disrupt an opposition demonstration in Gyumri on
March 28. Another Gyumri oppositionist got a suspended one-year jail term.

Two other, more prominent opposition activists, Aramazd Zakarian and Zhora
Sapeyan of the Hanrapetutyun (Republic) party were released late on Tuesday.
Both men were arrested in early April for “publicly insulting” senior government
officials, a charge dismissed by the opposition as politically motivated.

A prosecutor involved in the investigation said the case against them was
dropped after they admitted to the accusations. “Zakarian and Sapeyan repented
and that is why their criminal prosecution was discontinued,” Aram Khachatrian
told RFE/RL.

Both men denied admitting their guilt, however.

Law-enforcement sources told RFE/RL that two other prominent members of
Hanrapetutyun, former Defense Minister Vagharshak Harutiunian and Suren
Sureniants, are also likely to be set free soon. They said among those pressing
for their release is Ambassador Vladimir Pryakhin, head of the Yerevan office of
the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

By Karine Kalantarian


http://new.csi.am/eng/index1.php?goto=news&id=1717


http://new.csi.am/eng/index1.php?goto=news&id=1719



Statement Regarding the Court Trial on Edgar Arakelyan

[02.06.2004]

Human Right Defense Prompt Response Group released the following statement
regarding the court trial on Edgar Arakelyan.


"On May 26, 2004, the Court of First Instance of Center-Nork Marash District of
Yerevan finished hearing the case of Edgar Arakelyan- participant of April 13
rally on Baghramyan Avenue, Yerevan. Judge Ohanyan sentenced him to imprisonment
for 1.5 year.

In the nights of April 13, policemen, dispersing the rally, brutally beat Edgar
Arakelyan and broke his teeth. Edgar, in a self-defense, threw a plastic bottle
at a policeman. This action resulted as a base for the court verdict. After the
arrest Edgar was sadistically beaten in Erebuni Police Department of Yerevan.
Then he was again beaten in Municipal Police Department of Yerevan.

Later, investigators in the General Prosecutor’s Office extorted testimony from
Edgar by threatening and cursing him. The Court didn’t take into account the
fact of torture of Edgar Arakelyan, although it had to launch impartial
investigation over the fact of torture in accordance with Articles 11, 12, 13 of
the UN Convention “Against Punishment, Tortures and Other Brutal or Demeaning
Treatment”.

The Court verdict proved once more lack of justice in Armenia, and that the
Criminal Code is a tool in the hands of the authorities.

We, the undersigned, express our support to Edgar Arakelyan and state that
neither trials nor tortures can mislead our people from their way to democracy
and freedom.

Human Right Defense Prompt Response Group

Artak Kirakosyan

Gayane Markosyan

Georgi Vanyan

Avetiq Ishkhanyan

Arthur Saquntc

Vardan Harutyunyan "


http://new.csi.am/eng/index1.php?goto=news&id=1728



b. Students Stand Trial for Spreading Leaflets

[31.05.2004]

Students Harutyun Alaverdyan’s and Hakob Hakobyan’s trial started Monday at the
Center, Nork-Marash first instance court. They are charged with insulting
policemen.

Prosecutor Aram Mkrtchyan says these two young men were fastening leaflets
demanding to release Edgar Arakelyan, who has been arrested for striking a
policeman with empty plastic bottle during the police’s notorious attack on
demonstrators on April 13. The prosecutor says the police demanded the students
to stop doing that but insulted in response.

The students charged with defying law enforcement officers’ order and insulting
them were fined 1,000 and 1,500 drams.


http://new.csi.am/eng/index1.php?goto=news&id=1722


http://new.csi.am/eng/index1.php?goto=news&id=1725

c. Arrests continue

[01.06.2004]

The Armenian opposition reported on Tuesday renewed “administrative” detentions
and imprisonments of its activists ahead of the resumption of its
anti-government demonstrations in Yerevan.


http://new.csi.am/eng/index1.php?goto=news&id=1729


http://new.csi.am/eng/index1.php?goto=news&id=1714


http://new.csi.am/eng/index1.php?goto=news&id=1726

d. Surenyantc Stoped the Hunger-Strike

[26.05.2004]

Suren Surenyantc, member of “Republic” Party political board had been on
hunger-strike since May 20. He demanded to urgently perform the clauses of PACE
report, in particular to release the political prisoners – people arrested as a
result of rallies. Health state of Surenyantc has recently grown worse.


http://www.hra.am/arm/index1.php?goto=news&id=811


http://new.csi.am/eng/index1.php?goto=news&id=1713

e. 2 Political Prisoners Released

[26.05.2004]

Aramazd Zaqaryan, member of “Republic” Party political board and Jora Sapeyan,
head of Talin branch of “Republic” Party were released from “Yerevan-Center”
cell last evening.

The decision on their release says the case was suppressed for lack of corpus
delicti, a decision was made to stop the criminal pursuit and set them free.

They had been arrested for insulting the Authorities.

Aramazd Zaqaryan informed us yesterday he had told the investigator he wouldn’t
leave the cell until Vagharshak Harutyunyan and Suren Surenyantc were released,
too. But investigator assured Zaqaryan a political decision to set them free,
too, was made. Then Aramazd Zaqaryan left the jail.


http://new.csi.am/eng/index1.php?goto=news&id=1718

f. The Protest Action is Continuing


[24.05.2004]

The Picket of NGOs supported the release of political prisoners staged in front
of General Office of Prosecutor on May 13 is continuing. From Monday every day
will be presented the cases of each prisoner. On May 24 the protest is dedicated
to Suren Surenyantc started hunger-strike on May 20. The collection of
signatures supported the release of the political prisoner is going on.

On May 25 at 10 a.m. in front of General Prosecutor’s Office the picket will be
devoted Edgar Arakelyan, the young man who was shown by TV while bitting a
police officer with an empty plastic bottle on April 12-13 rally night.
According to information we have during the investigation he was tortured. On
the same day, May 25 at 2 p.m. will take place hearings on the case against
Edgar Arakelyan in Kentron-Nork-Marash Court.


http://new.csi.am/eng/index1.php?goto=news&id=1712

3. Freedom of Assembly

Municipality Forbidding Opposition

[01.06.2004]

Yerevan Municipality forbade Opposition to hold a rally on June 4 at 6:00 PM
near Matenadaran.

In reply to the letter of “Justice” Bloc, “National Unity” Party and Communist
Party representatives Municipality made a decision on forbidding the mass public
measure, reasoning criminal cases over the rallies held before were instituted
in Office of Prosecutor and being guided by the 13th article of the Armenian Law
on “Holding Meetings, Rallies and Marches” and N 856-A decision by Yerevan
Mayor.


http://new.csi.am/eng/index1.php?goto=news&id=1727

4. Freedom of Information

Ombudsman Is Worried For Citizens

[24.05.2004]

The staff of the Armenian Ombudsman informs it receives numerous applications
saying citizens aren’t accepted in due course in some state instances,
Ministries and Super Departments in particular, there aren’t reception days, the
officials receiving are absent, those executive for reception don’t properly
inform citizens about the order or hamper meetings.

Ombudsman Larissa Alaverdyan considers it necessary that the population should
be informed about the reception order in any instance of state management, which
will support the dialogue between the society and the Authorities and will
increase protectability of human rights.


http://new.csi.am/eng/index1.php?goto=news&id=1715

5. International Organizations About the Situation in Armenia



a. Freedom House

Nations in Transit 2004, ARMENIA

[25.05.2004 ]

Nations in Transit, published annually by Freedom House, is the comprehensive,
comparative, multidimensional study focusing on 27 former Communist states.

Here is presented Armenia study's executive summary. Whole text can be dowloaded



http://new.csi.am/eng/index1.php?goto=guest&id=49



b. Amnesty International

Report 2004, Armenia

[30.05.2004 ]

The Amnesty International launched this week Report 2004. It documents the human
rights situation in 155 countries and territories in 2003, and

summarizes regional trends. Here is presented the Amnesty International Armenia
Report, covering events from January - December 2003


http://new.csi.am/eng/index1.php?goto=guest&id=50

c. OSCE Official Questions Opposition Arrests
In Armenia

[28.05.2004]

A senior official from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe
on Friday criticized the continuing imprisonment on criminal charges of more
than a dozen individuals arrested in connection with the opposition campaign for
regime change in Armenia.

Ambassador Vladimir Pryakhin, who heads the OSCE office in Yerevan, said the
law-enforcement authorities’ decision to keep the opposition activists in jail
pending the inquiry into their alleged coup attempts and “hooligan” acts is too
strict and unjustified.

“We insist on a detailed investigation into all those cases in order to rule out
a biased and politically motivated treatment of [the detainees],” Pryakhin told
RFE/RL. “There is no criminal substance as such [in their actions] or it is too
insignificant to warrant such a preventive measure.”

“Undoubtedly their detention was politically motivated and linked to their
political activities. But during those activities they may have carried out
actions that are punishable by criminal law,” he said.

The Russian diplomat acknowledged that the OSCE played a role in the release
earlier this week of two senior members of the opposition Hanrapetutyun party
accused of publicly insulting the authorities. He said he will hold more
meetings with Armenian prosecutors to discuss the fate of the other detainees.


At least 11 opposition activists are kept in jail on criminal charges. Three of
them have already been sentenced to between 9 and 18 months in prison by courts.
The opposition and some local human rights groups regard all of them as
political prisoners.

The authorities have also detained and briefly jailed in the last two months
more than one hundred participants of unsanctioned opposition rallies under
Armenia’s Soviet-era code of Administrative Offences. Opposition sources say 15
people are currently serving prison terms ranging from 8 to 10 days.

The authorities continue to resort to the controversial “administrative
detentions” despite repeated protests from the Council of Europe and other
international watchdogs. According to Pryakhin, the OSCE also stands for the
abolition of what he described as a “vicious practice.” “The administrative
detentions is a legacy of Soviet jurisprudence which allowed law-enforcement
bodies to detain certain dissident individuals for the so-called prophylactic
purposes,” he said.

“We have set a goal of having this vicious practice scrapped this year,”
Pryakhin added. Between 200 and 400 opposition supporters were jailed in similar
circumstances during and in the aftermath of last year’s disputed presidential
election. The arrests were criticized by Amnesty International on Wednesday.
“Reportedly denied access to lawyers, they were sentenced in closed trials
without legal representation,” the London-based group said in an annual report
on human rights abuses around the world.

By Ruzanna Stepanian


http://new.csi.am/eng/index1.php?goto=news&id=1720