Author: Kalantarian Kevo

RA HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER ASSESSES 2011 POLICE ACTIVITIES

hetq
12:33, March 28, 2012

Shortcomings and problems identified

In some cases, investigation and preliminary investigation bodies
subjected people to cruel, inhuman, as well as humiliating treatment
for obtaining testimony.

In many cases a person has been unreasonably “invited” to a police
department, kept there against his/her will, factually being deprived
of liberty without having an appropriate status foreseen by the RA
Criminal Procedural Code.

There were often cases when a person suspected of a crime was brought
to the police department (without any status) and kept there more
than 3 hours violating the requirements of the Article 131.1 of the
RA Criminal Procedural Code.

In many cases reports on crimes were not followed up in the order
foreseen by the Criminal Procedural Code, and they were “attached to
a series”.

In some cases, a person’s passport was taken from him/her by police
officers without legal grounds and kept as a guarantee.

In many cases, people, having physical injuries as a result of a
crime, were not given a forensic examination official document or were
provided with them after unduly delays and sometimes very untimely.

There are many cases, when terms, defined by the Article 180 of the
RA Criminal Procedural Code for consideration of reports about crimes,
were violated.

Sometimes criminal cases were not initiated in case of contradictions
in explanations given during preparations of materials, which would
enable the investigation body to carry out face to face interrogations
to ensure objectivity, fullness and comprehensiveness of the case.

In some cases, the terms of keeping detainees in Detention facilities
were violated.

During investigation and preliminary investigation people were
sometimes invited to interrogation with violations of the requirements
of the Article 205 of the RA Criminal Procedural Code.

In some cases, people brought to police departments, were deprived
of the right of having a defender.

There were complaints that under the pretext of identifying the
wanted person, police officers had entered one’s apartment and
conducted a search without a corresponding court decision.

The Passport and Visa Department and territorial departments often
unreasonably denied the citizens ofArmeniain providing them with
passports, due to not being registered.

Positive developments

In the two last months of 2011 the police response to reports about
cases of violence and violations carried out by its officers has
changed, and the Ombudsman’s mediation in 2011 regarding a similar
complaint was positively processed. Due to a citizen A.A.’s report,
the investigator S. Sedrakyan had derogated and insulted him, as well
as had violated a number of criminal procedural norms. According
to the official investigation, the investigator S. Sedrakyan was
dismissed from his position by the order of the Chief of Police.

The process of revealing violations of traffic rules has been improved
by placing camera and photo devices.

The RA Police has developed the concepts of introduction of
observation systems in the crowded areas ofYerevanand concept of the
rapid reaction center ofYerevandepartment, as well as their technical
tasks and financial estimates.

The RA draft Law “About Making Amendments and Additions” to the RA Law
“About Confirming the RA Police Disciplinary Code”” was approved, which
aims to improve the legal protection level of the police officers,
to establish a permanent Commission carrying investigation with
respect to police officers.

In November 2011, the Chief of the Police of Armenia signed the
order N3327 “About implementation of trainings for police officers
subject to appointment in Municipal Police Departments established
in Yerevan Territorial Police Departments”, which aims to promote
the establishment of a district (municipal) police model.

Karen Andreasyan,

Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia

The list of the identified positive developments, gaps and shortcomings
is not exhaustive.

The introduced Chapter (17) of the HRD Annual Report 2011 is available
in full at .

The HRD Annual Report 2011 was developed based on the complaints
received by the Staff of the Human Rights Defender, legislation
analysis, trustworthy and non-disclaimed publications in press,
reports of the international and local organizations as well as
information received during the interviews with field specialists
and human rights defenders.

PLAINTE CONTRE JOURNALISTE TURC D’ORIGINE JUIVE POUR AVOIR CRITIQUE UN MINISTRE
Stephane

armenews.com
mercredi 28 mars 2012

Le ministère des Affaires Internes de Turquie a depose une plainte
contre Roni Margulies, le commentateur juif du quotidien Taraf en
Turquie qui avait ecrit une colonne critique contre le ministre
turc de l’Interieur Idris Naim Sahin, qui avait fait un discours
anti-armenien pendant une demonstration a Istanbul le 26 fevrier.

Roni Margulies a commente cette nouvelle en disant que d’une part,
son article n’a insulte personne. ” Le Premier Ministre et le Ministre
de l’interieur intentent un procès pensant qu’ils s nous forceront
d’arreter d’ecrire. Pensent-ils que nous aurons peur ? Nous n’aurions
pas fait d’ecrits si nous avions peur. Nous ne sommes pas stupides. Le
ministre doit faire des excuses non seulement aux armeniens, mais a
la Turquie dans son entier ” a dit Roni Margulies.

LE PREMIER MINISTRE ARMENIEN CONFIRME L’ACQUISITION DE NOUVELLES ARMES
Stephane

armenews.com
mercredi 28 mars 2012

L’Armenie a significativement augmente les acquisitions de nouvelles
et plus sophistiquees armes ces dernières quelques annees en reponse
aux acquisistions mssives de l’Azerbaïdjan a a declare le Premier
ministre Tigran Sarkissian.

” L’Azerbaïdjan a depense des sommes enormes dans le renforcement de
son armee pour resoudre par la force le conflit du Nagorno-Karabakh ”
a dit Tigran Sarkissian pendant une visite a Gyumri cette semaine. ”
Nous sommes obliges a garantir la securite de nos citoyens et la
seule facon de le faire est d’avoir une armee prete au combat “.

” Aujourd’hui nous pouvons vous annoncer qu’au cours des cinq dernières
annees nous avons reussi a realiser cette tâche ” a-t-il dit devant
des centaines de membres du parti Republicain d’Armenie (HHK).

” Rien que ces trois dernières annees nous avons augmente le niveau de
notre armement d’autant que nous avons ete capables de la faire pendant
les 17 premiers annees de notre construction d’un Etat independant “.

” Nous avons importe qualitativement et essentiellement des nouvelles
armes et des munitions vers la Republique d’Armenie, fournissant a
notre armee des armes modernes et imposant a notre adversaire la paix
” a dit le Premier ministre. Il n’a pas donne de renseignements sur
ces livraisons d’armes.

GREECE STANDS UP FOR SETTLEMENT OF NAGORNO KARABAKH CONFLICT WITHIN THE FORMAT OF OSCE MINSK GROUP

ARMENPRESS
MARCH 27, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, MARCH 27, ARMENPRESS: Greece stands up for settlement of
the Nagorno Karabakh conflict within the format of OSCE Minsk Group,
Greek Ambassador to Azerbaijan Ioannis Metaxas stated, Armenpress
reports citing the Latvian mass media.

“Greece attentively follows the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict and shows a gentle approach to the conflict. We hope Karabakh
issue will get resolution within the framework of the Minsk Group,”
the ambassador said.

Ioannis Metaxas stressed he has examined this issue and is aware
about the difficulties related to the conflict.

ARMENIAN COMMITTED TO PEACEFUL SETTLEMENT OF KARABAKH CONFLICT

ITAR-TASS
March 25, 2012 Sunday 12:44 AM GMT+4
Russia

Armenian Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandyan said on Saturday
that Armenia was committed to the peaceful settlement of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. He praised Russia, the United States and
France, the co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group, for their consistent
efforts towards peaceful settlement of the Nagrono- Karabakh problem.

“Thanks to their intermediary efforts which they are making in this
format, it’s possible to find a solution to this problem,” Nalbandyan
said on Saturday on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the OSCE
Minsk Process for the settlement of conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh.

The Armenian foreign minister said that twenty years ago the Council
of Ministers of the Conference for Security and Cooperation in
Europe passed a decision to start the Minsk Process for settling the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

“The Minsk Group was formed and its Co-chairmanship was created. Their
mission is to reach a peaceful settlement of the Nagorono-Karabakh
conflict on the basis of principles of international law,” Nalbandyan
emphasized.

“The Co-chairmanship of the OSCE Minsk Group represented by Russia,
the United States and France, is the only structure which has an
appropriate mandate of the international community to deal with the
Nagorno-Karabakh settlement. They are making a vital contribution
to observing the ceasefire, reducing tensions in the conflict zone,
enhancing talks between the parties and working out the principles
of peaceful settlement,” Nalbandyan emphasized.

France, Turkey, and the Politics of Genocide
By Joe Mazur

March 25, 2012 11:14 pm

>From an American perspective, one could be forgiven for thinking
that the French don’t understand freedom of expression. After all,
it was only last year that a bill banning the public wearing of a
burqa or niqab drew the support of roughly four out of five French
citizens. Denying the Holocaust has been illegal in France for
more than twenty years, and the “positive presentation of drugs”
is punishable by massive fines and up to five years in prison.

Most recently, both houses of the French legislature have passed a
bill that would make the public denial of the Armenian Genocide of
1915 to 1923 punishable by a whopping fine of 45,000 euros ($57,000)
and a year in jail. The bill’s inexorable advance was halted only when
it was referred to the country’s highest court, the Constitutional
Council, where it was ruled unconstitutional in February.

But this setback might not spell the end for the criminalization
of Armenian Genocide denial. President Nicolas Sarkozy has asked
his government to redraft the bill, his office explaining that
“The President of the Republic considers that [genocide] denial is
intolerable and must therefore be punished.” Sarkozy’s dogged pursuit
of the bill’s passage has his critics wondering about his angle.

Accusations leveled against Sarkozy at home range from attempting
to curry favor with French voters of Armenian descent (a small but
influential minority of about 500,000) to outright Islamophobia and
an effort to prejudice the French people against Turkey’s possible
accession to the European Union.

The Turkish response to the legislation can best be described as
apoplectic. In the wake of the bill’s initial approval by the National
Assembly last December, Ankara cancelled all bilateral talks with the
French government, suspended joint military operations, and denied
French warships and military planes permission to dock or land in
Turkey respectively. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has
even gone so far to accuse France of having committed genocide in
colonial Algeria and threatened further, unspecified action against
France if the bill becomes law.

Turkey’s righteous indignation might be more convincing if it was not
also glaringly hypocritical. When Erdogan, in a speech to parliament,
insisted that the French bill “murdered freedom of thought”, he seemed
to have forgotten that Article 301 of the Turkish penal code makes
it illegal to insult the Turkish nation, ethnicity, or government.

Since its implementation in 2005, Article 301 has been used on
many occasions to prosecute writers, journalists, and scholars who
have criticized Ankara’s policy of vehement genocide denial or who
have otherwise run afoul of the regime. It would seem, therefore,
that Erdogan’s definition of “freedom of thought” is as fluid as is
politically convenient. Whatever the French motives for promulgating
its genocide denial legislation and regardless of whether or not such
legislation truly suppresses freedom of thought, Turkey simply cannot
claim the moral high ground when it comes to free expression.

Moreover, Turkey’s hysterical reaction to the bill has made it
abundantly clear that the country is being forced to confront its
own checkered history. In an interview with HPR, Harvard Professor of
Armenian Studies James Russell shed some light on why the legislation
elicited such a strong Turkish response: “In Turkey itself, denial
of the genocide is one of the cornerstones of the culture. There
has been a very systematic effort by the Turkish state not only to
deny that the genocide took place, but also to eradicate signs that
[Armenians] lived there.” Russell further believes that the French
legislation represents an important and long overdue reality check
and rejects Turkish claims that the bill is intended to be racist
or Islamophobic. “This isn’t a matter of anti-Turkish bigotry. [The
Bill] stems from a desire for historical recognition.” Indeed, Russell
views recognition as a move that would ultimately benefit Turkey and
expressed optimism that such recognition would take eventually gain
acceptance. “One has to encourage a change in Turkish civil values
… I think Turkey’s viable future depends on this issue. There has
been a lot of progress and there will be more progress.”

But ultimately, the controversy surrounding France’s bill ceases to
be about the skeletons in Turkey’s closet or even about the Armenian
Genocide specifically. Rather, it is a facet of a larger debate between
those who would recognize and learn from historical fact and those
who would stubbornly continue to deny the undeniable. As important
as it is for Turkey and other governments to acknowledge the truth
of the Armenian Genocide in order to reconcile the descendants of
the victims with the descendants of the perpetrators, the true value
of recognition is as a bulwark against future abuses. “The Armenian
experience was one of the signal dangers of the twentieth century”
explains Russell. The longer a crime is concealed, the longer lies
take the place of truth, the easier it is for subsequent crimes
connected to the first to proliferate and find acceptance.”

While France’s methods for ensuring the perpetuation of historical fact
might run counter to the American concept of constitutional liberty
and be perceived by Turks as a grave insult to their national identity,
its government is addressing a hugely important issue that deserves the
world’s attention. In the almost 100 years since the extermination of
Armenians by the Ottoman Empire and the seven decades that have elapsed
since the Holocaust, the world seems no closer to the abolition of
mass murder. Tragic chapters on Cambodia, Rwanda, Yugoslavia, and
Darfur have instead been written in the annals of history with the
blood of millions. If “Never Again” is to be anything more than just
a mantra, perhaps the governments of the world would do well to play
an active role in preserving the memory of calamities past.

After all, it was Hitler who wondered on the eve of his genocidal
invasion of Poland, “Who still talks today of the extermination of
the Armenians?”

COTE D’IVOIRE CITIZENS SETTLE IN ARMENIAN AIRPORT

news.am
March 27, 2012 | 16:15

YEREVAN.- A group of African illegal migrants has settled at Yerevan’s
Zvartnots airport.

They have been living at the airport for a week claiming Armenia is
a transit country to leave for Moldova.

The Armenian News-NEWS.am correspondent reported that eleven men,
citizens of Côte d’Ivoire, arrived in Yerevan by flight coming from
Dubai. They claim that they planned to go to Moldova for a qualifying
football match.

During the first days of their visit Africans said they had money to
buy a ticket, even claimed they had $2 million. Later it was disclosed
they had neither money nor a ticket.

An investigation of Yerevan airport’s employees proved that of Côte
d’Ivoire citizens had already tried to leave for a European state
from Saint Petersburg airport.

It is still unclear how long they would stay at the airport. The
representatives of the airport refused to comment on the situation.

They say it is not the first time that Armenia is used as a transit
country to illegally enter European states.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT EXPOSES AZERI COUNTERPART’S DISINFORMATION

Tert.am
27.03.12

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan delivered a speech at the Nuclear
Security Summit in Seoul, South Korea.

“I am not at all surprised at the disinformation on the Armenian
nuclear-power plant the Azeri president has just spread here.

Slandering Armenia has for a long time been Azerbaijan’s style,”
the Armenian leader said.

Moreover, at the highest international level, Azerbaijan is
spreading disinformation not only on the developments related to
Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, but also on the documents approved by
the international community – the well-known UN resolutions on the
Nagorno-Karabakh problem. Azerbaijan has forgotten it unleashed war
and refused to put an end to hostilities. Moreover, Azerbaijan goes
on issuing threats, refusing to settle the Nagorno-Karabakh problem
in conformity with international law.

The Chernobyl disaster and Fukushima tragedy aroused doubts about
nuclear security. In special cases, like Armenia, steady development
and improvement of social conditions depends on nuclear energy,
and hardly any alternatives are available, the Armenian president said.

The Armenian leader pointed out the advisability of discussing
nuclear security issues along with related ones. He also stressed
the importance of preventing energy resources from turning into
harmful political capital. Consequences may be grave, especially
for the countries not rich in natural resources, which have to seek
alternative ways to energy independence.

Two of Armenia’s four neighbors, in defiance of international law,
go on blockading Armenia. Among other problems, the blockade does
not leave any choice for Armenia to find ways to energy independence,
President Serzh Sargsyan said.

AZERBAIJAN CLARIFIES ITS NONPARTICIPATION IN YOUTH FORUM IN YEREVAN

News.Az
Tue 27 March 2012

Ministry of Youth and Sports Minister considered it necessary to
refuse to participate in Yerevan Youth Forum of the fourth Eastern
Partnership Platform.

“We did not bother to go and take part in the forum due to Armenia’s
continued refusal to participate in our activities under the pretext of
alleged threats to its security from Azerbaijan’s part”, spokesperson
for the ministry Samaya Mammadova said.

In particular, Azerbaijan sent an invitation to Armenia to participate
in meetings of the Sports Ministers of the Council of Europe and the
Youth Council of CIS member states.

“At the same time Azerbaijan has always ensured the safety of all
participants of the events”, said Mammadova.

As an example, she cited the fact of participation of Armenian athletes
in the world championship in Baku and “the security was provided at
the highest level.”

Mammadova recalled the refusal of Armenia to participate in the
international song contest “Eurovision 2012” in Baku for the same
invented reason

According to her, Armenia is not interested in regional cooperation.

“In this view we have also refused to attend the event in Yerevan”,
she said.

VANAND VILLAGERS: “THIS GOVERNMENT HAS CORRUPTED US ALL” (VIDEO)
Grisha Balasanyan

pted-us-all-video.html
17:30, March 26, 2012

If you visit the village of Vanand, in Armavir Marz, a few times,
you’ll probably need a new pair of shoes.

The dusty and rocky roads are nothing new to local residents who still
hope that someone in government will take an interest in their plight
in the run-up to the elections in Armenia. Many villagers believe
that their community doesn’t even appear on the official map.

Vanand and a few surrounding villages don’t even have a bus for public
transport. Most get to the regional center of Armavir or Yerevan by
hitching a ride with passing motorists on the main highway.

Taxi drivers avoid the area due to the impassable roads.

During our visit to Vanand, we came across no one in the streets.

Even the ramshackle mayor’s office was empty.

I suddenly heard a sound from afar and ran in its direction, hoping
to finally see someone.

I came upon a man near a wall seemingly having a dispute with a pile
of manure.

“I bring the Yezidi manure here by hand to dry and make dung chips for
fuel. We can’t afford to heat the home with gas,” said Grisha Smbatyan.

Mr. Smbatyan asked if we would edit out his words of criticism like
the TV stations do. When I said that nothing would be edited out,
the man began to list the problems facing the village.

For a start, he said that the village’s artesian well water has been
showing heavy traces of salt for the past several months.

Mr. Smbatyan noted that the village mayor was a good man but that
he had no assistants. He pointed to the poles without any street
lights and said it was a shame given that Turkey was only a few
kilometres away.

He said his sons are in Russia working but that their situation isn’t
that good.

The man also touched on the agricultural problems – expensive
fertilizers, irrigation water prices, no market for selling ones
produce, etc.

“I have 5 hectares of land but haven’t farmed it for the past 7
years. I can hardly pay the land taxes. We senior citizens have
lived our lives, but what about the young generations. How will they
survive?” Mr. Smbatyan asked.

[-005.jpg] Before he could finish, Hmayak Haroutunyan, another village
resident approached and also chided the TV stations for presenting
rural life through rose-colored glasses.

“We are displeased with our government. If you are dedicated and a
concerned citizen, then there is no place for you in today’s Armenia”
he said.

“Maybe I’m saying the wrong thing, but we might be better off living
under foreign rule. I am ashamed at what this government is doing;
ashamed of being an Armenian. I am disgusted that the country is
being depopulated and that we can’t do a thing.”

“They say that the Soviet Union was a dictatorship. Fine, but at
least we had dreams back then. We dreamt of uniting the Armenian lands
on the other side of the Turkish border. I can see my grandfather’s
house on the other side of the river. Forget all those dreams. Today,
I am disgusted with the situation I am faced with. I too wanted
independence back then. But if I knew it would turn out like this I
wouldn’t have been so keen. I am disgusted with myself.

We are living in an era of lies and deceit. The government has
corrupted us all,” Hmayak said.

I tried to reach the mayor by phone for his side of the story.

Jivan Manoukyan said he had given enough TV interviews and didn’t
wish to meet with any more reporters.