Wednesday,
Activists Claim Government Attempt To `Criminalize Criticism'
. Sisak Gabrielian
Armenia -- People rally near the venue of a standoff between security
forces and a group of pro-opposition gunmen known as Sasna Tsrer,
Yerevan, 27July, 2016
A number of human rights activists in Armenia have claimed that with
the new draft Criminal Code an attempt is being made to criminalize
sharp criticism of the government.
The draft, in particular, stipulates that publicly justifying or
promoting terrorism is punishable by up to three years in prison.
According to Artur Sakunts, who heads the Vanadzor-based office of the
Armenian Citizens' Assembly, authorities may carry out political
persecutions against their opponents under the pretext of this article
that needs expounding. He cited the example of the 2016 standoff
between security forces and pro-opposition gunmen known as Sasna Tsrer
who were making political demands and drew the support of a
considerable number of opposition activists as well as politically
neutral citizens who did not want the group consisting mostly of
1992-1994 Karabakh war veterans to be killed during the anticipated
police storm.
"When Sasna Tsrer group members where barricaded inside the police
compound that they had seized peaceful protests were taking place
outside with the aim to prevent bloodshed# And now this may be
qualified as support," Sakunts said.
The activist further claimed that the article of the Criminal Code
could as well be applied against those who express antigovernment
views during a public debate. He emphasized that he was against hate
speech, but was also against silencing anti-government views. "Even
the most extreme and offensive speech against an official cannot serve
as a ground for prosecution because it is protected under conventions
- it is public opinion," Sakunts explained.
Head of the Helsinki Committee of Armenia Avetik Ishkhanian also
believes that in conditions of Armenia the kind of article may be
applied arbitrarily. "Suppose someone calls Soghomon Tehlirian (a man
who assassinated Talaat Pasha, the former Grand Vizier of the Ottoman
Empire, in an act of revenge for the genocide), one of the greatest
Armenians. Is he supposed to be prosecuted? Of course, this is very
hypothetical, but clearly this article can be applied very
arbitrarily," he said.
Justice Minister David Harutiunian, who authored the bill, dismissed
the criticism. "There is no criminal offense in this draft that has
been included with anyone particular in mind," he said. "We study the
experience of other countries on every step that can be seen as
controversial, we discuss things with international experts to see the
experience of courts in other countries, their interpretations."
The minister said that they are ready to listen to all proposals of
the civil society and human rights activists on the planned provision
on terrorism, which he described as a subtle issue.
Karabakh Leader On Trip To U.S. Amid Protests From Baku
. Artak Hambardzumian
Czech Republic/Armenia -- Karabakh leader Bako Sahakian gives an
interview to RFE/RL's Armenian service, Prague, 12Jun2016
Nagorno-Karabakh's ethnic Armenian leader Bako Sahakian is paying a
visit to the United States that has elicited a strong reaction from
Azerbaijani authorities.
Ahead of the trip last week U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan Robert
Cekuta was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Baku and
handed a note of protest addressed to the U.S. Department of State
over Sahakian's planned visit.
In the note the Azerbaijani authorities urged the United States "to
adhere to the norms of international law and not to allow on its
territory activities aimed at violating the sovereignty of
Azerbaijan."
Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hikmet Hajiyev claimed that
such a visit would "seriously harm the negotiating process [over
Nagorno-Karabakh] and increase tensions in the region."
Meanwhile, authorities in Stepanakert reported that the delegation led
by Sahakian arrived in Washington on Monday and on March 13 the
Karabakh leader visited the embassy of the Republic of Armenia where
he met with Ambassador Grigor Hovannisian and the diplomatic staff.
"A range of issues related to cooperation between the United States
and the two Armenian states were on the agenda of the meeting," said
the Karabakh leader's press office, adding that Sahakian stressed the
importance of close cooperation between Karabakh, Armenia and the
Armenian Diaspora as "a crucial factor for successful implementation
of the scheduled programs."
It is also reported that while in Washington Sahakian also visited the
Permanent Representation of Nagorno-Karabakh to the U.S. and held a
meeting with its staff. A range of issues related to the activities of
the structure were on the agenda of the meeting, the source said.
"The president [Sahakian] noted the importance of expanding and
deepening cooperation with the United States, underlining that the
representation should continue implementing daily professional
work. He gave specific instructions in that direction," the report
said.
No other details of the visit, including possible meetings of the
Karabakh delegation with representatives of the American side, have
been reported yet.
Richard Giragosian, the director of the Yerevan-based Regional Studies
Center, attached particular importance to the visit of the Karabakh
delegation in view of the fact that it follows the visit of the
Armenian parliamentary delegation to the United
States. "Nagorno-Karabakh is now taking the initiative in foreign
policy, which should be welcomed," said Giragosian. "But on the other
hand, because of its maximalist policies and aggressive stance,
Azerbaijan is actively showing why Karabakh should not return to
Azerbaijani control."
The state-run Armenpress news agency quoted the Armenian National
Committee of America-Western Region as saying that during the visit of
the Karabakh leader to the United States one of the streets in
Glendale, a town in California that is home to a large Armenian
community, may be renamed after Artsakh, which is the alternative name
for Nagorno-Karabakh used by Armenians. The report says the Glendale
City Council has unanimously voted to start the street renaming
process.
Nagorno-Karabakh, populated mainly by ethnic Armenians, declared
independence from Azerbaijan during 1988-94 ethnic tensions and a war
that claimed an estimated 30,000 lives and displaced hundreds of
thousands of people.
Three decades of internationally-mediated diplomatic efforts aimed at
resolving the conflict have brought little progress.
Ombudsman Says Yerevan City Council Sessions Cannot Be Closed
. Sisak Gabrielian
Armenia - At a Yerevan City Council session, Nov 29 2017
The sessions of Yerevan's City Council cannot be held behind closed
doors, Armenia's Ombudsman Arman Tatoyan said on Wednesday, responding
to concerns about controversial plans of the Armenian capital's
municipality to limit media access to meetings of its legislature.
"It is one thing to hold closed sessions of the government, but a
different thing when it comes to the municipality where different
principles are applied. The municipality is a representative body
where people are elected by citizens just like the parliament. I
consider it inadmissible to hold City Council sessions behind closed
doors," Tatoyan told media after today's government session.
According to the ombudsman, journalists should not be considered by
state bodies as "persons standing on the opposite side of the
barricades."
Armenian Ombudsman Arman Tatoyan
After an incident at the Yerevan City Council in February when media
witnessed an embarrassing brawl between opposition and pro-government
members of the body, the Mayor's Office's Information Department head
Artur Gevorgian said that journalists would no longer be allowed to
work in the Council's sessions hall.
According to Gevorgian, the media will be provided with separate
premises for covering the Council sessions. "It is not necessary to be
inside the sessions hall. It cannot be viewed as a restriction in any
way. Journalists will continue to move freely inside the
[municipality] building on the days of council sessions," he said.
Some media experts in Armenia have suggested that a recently adopted
law controversially allowing the central government to hold closed
sessions may have encouraged low-level authorities to follow suit.
Justice Minister `Concerned' Over Public TV Show Mocking Female
Inmates
. Sisak Gabrielian
Armenia - Justice Minister David Harutiunian speaks to journalists in
Yerevan, 15Jun2017.
Armenian Justice Minister David Harutiunian has expressed his concern
over a show recently aired on state television that local human rights
activists say mocked female prison inmates.
To mark International Women's Day in Armenia on March 8, a young
female journalist from Armenian Public Television (H1) went to the
Abovian prison outside of the capital, Yerevan, to speak with some
women convicts for the channel's Fine Evening (Lav Yereko) show.
The interviews with seven prisoners were full of ridiculous questions
that included asking them if there were any "cute" prison guards
working at the institution. Audio of giggling and guffawing was added
to the women's responses in a manner that many deemed degrading.
Talking to RFE/RL's Armenian service (Azatutyun.am) on Wednesday,
Minister Harutiunian described the program as "unacceptable" and said
that this was not the first time that the channel made a serious
"omission".
"I think it's unacceptable. I am concerned about this fact and will
have a very serious discussion with the administration of H1, because,
in my view, this is not the first, but a second serious omission on
the part of H1, and we are going to have a serious discussion," said
the official, without elaborating.
The controversial show also raised eyebrows among media outlets
because many Armenian journalists have great difficulty gaining access
to prisons for their reports. Some have waited for months before their
requests were rejected for various reasons.
Press Review
"Haykakan Zhamanak" suggests that state-controlled media did not much
dwell on the statements made by Prime Minister Karen Karapetian during
his recent visit to Lebanon, including the one on Armenia's economic
growth figures, because "he is no longer the movie guy". "He [Karen
Karapetian] did his job and now he needs to be made to climb down from
the horse. Otherwise, he may become an impediment," the daily writes.
According to "Zhoghovurd", the reply from the Prosecutor-General's
Office that it will not subpoena ex-president Robert Kocharian for
questioning over his 2008 order to use lethal force against opposition
supporters protesting the outcome of the presidential election was a
"foregone conclusion". "The law-enforcement system, including the
Prosecutor's Office, are puppets in the hands of the government. And
so they won't agree to reopen the `March 1' page. They will do it only
in one case - if there is an order from [President] Serzh
Sarkisian. And Sarkisian will never give such an order, because he is
tied with Kocharian in this and lots of other matters."
"Zhamanak" argues that legally the subject of the 2008 post-election
events seems to be closed for all and expectations concerning a
relevant legal process are just an "illusion". "But the political
aspect of the matter is far from being closed and we are going to have
a `political fair' on this subject soon in the form of an upcoming
discussion of the opposition Yelk faction-initiated statement. There
is no doubt that the statement will be rejected just like the petition
for Kocharian to be questioned was," the paper claims.
(Elen Chilingarian)
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
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