US State Department Human Rights Report Criticizes Armenian Authorities – Again

The US Department of State annually submits country reports on human rights practices to the US Congress. The 2009 report, which covers 194, was recently made available and can be found on the US Department of State official website.

The comprehensive report also included Armenia; in particular, it made mention of the “significantly flawed February 2008 presidential election” and the protests that followed, which resulted in the deaths of 10 civilians. The aftermath “continued to fuel a political crisis that remained largely unresolved during the year and resulted in numerous human rights abuses.”

The preface to the section on Armenia paints a grim picture for the state of human rights in the country in 2009. The preface, in part, reads as follows:

“Authorities restricted the right of citizens to freely change their government in mayoral elections in Yerevan. During the year authorities subjected citizens, particularly those considered by the government to be political opponents, to arbitrary arrest, detention, and imprisonment for their political activities; lengthy pretrial detention also continued to be a problem.

“Authorities continued to use harassment and intrusive application of bureaucratic measures to intimidate and retaliate against political opponents. Authorities used force to disperse political demonstrations and constrain citizens seeking to publicize them. Police beat pretrial detainees and failed to provide due process in some cases.

“The National Security Service (NSS) and police acted with impunity in committing alleged human rights abuses. In spite of renovations and new construction, prison conditions remained cramped and unhealthy. Authorities denied citizens the right to a fair trial. News outlets, especially in the broadcast media, practiced a high degree of self-censorship, and authorities continued to restrict media pluralism, including through a moratorium on renewal of broadcasting licenses.

“There were multiple attacks against journalists, and the government rarely identified or prosecuted perpetrators. Authorities restricted freedom of assembly, rejecting numerous applications filed by political opponents to hold demonstrations at requested venues, and often prevented spontaneous assembly by citizens. Corruption remained widespread, and authorities did not make determined efforts to combat it.

“Authorities and laws restricted religious freedom. Violence against women and spousal abuse, trafficking in persons, and discrimination against persons with disabilities and homosexual individuals was also reported.”