DOCSLIB.ORG

Report to the Armenian Government on the Visit to Armenia Carried Out

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Report to the Armenian Government on the Visit to Armenia Carried Out CPT/Inf (2004) 25 Report to the Armenian Government on the visit to Armenia carried out by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) from 6 to 17 October 2002 The Armenian Government has requested the publication of this report and of its interim and follow-up responses. The Government's responses are set out in documents CPT/Inf (2004) 26 and 27. Strasbourg, 28 July 2004 CONTENTS Copy of the letter transmitting the CPT's report ............................................................................5 PREFACE ...........................................................................................................................................6 I. INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................................8 A. Dates of the visit and composition of the delegation ..............................................................8 B. Establishments visited...............................................................................................................9 C. Consultations held by the delegation and co-operation encountered.................................10 D. Context of the visit ..................................................................................................................11 E. Immediate observations under Article 8, paragraph 5, of the Convention .......................12 II. FACTS FOUND DURING THE VISIT AND ACTION PROPOSED ..............................13 A. Establishments under the authority of the Ministry of Internal Affairs ...........................13 1. Preliminary remarks ........................................................................................................13 2. Torture and other forms of physical ill-treatment ...........................................................14 3. Safeguards against the ill-treatment of persons deprived of their liberty........................18 a. introduction ............................................................................................................18 b. notification of deprivation of liberty ......................................................................18 c. access to a lawyer...................................................................................................19 d. access to a doctor ...................................................................................................21 e. information on rights..............................................................................................22 f. conduct of police interviews ..................................................................................23 g. custody records.......................................................................................................23 h. independent inspections .........................................................................................24 4. Conditions of detention ...................................................................................................25 a. introduction ............................................................................................................25 b. temporary detention centres ...................................................................................26 c. holding cells/cubicles for administrative detention................................................28 B. Establishments under the authority of the Ministry of National Security ........................29 C. Prison establishments .............................................................................................................32 1. Preliminary remarks ........................................................................................................32 2. Ill-treatment .....................................................................................................................33 3. Conditions of detention ...................................................................................................34 a. pre-trial facilities - Nubarashen and Gyumri Prisons.............................................34 i. material conditions .......................................................................................34 ii. activities........................................................................................................37 b. strict-regime colonies - Erebuni and Sevan Prisons...............................................38 i. material conditions .......................................................................................38 ii. activities........................................................................................................40 c. prisoners sentenced to death...................................................................................40 4. Health-care services.........................................................................................................42 a. introduction ............................................................................................................42 b. health care services in the prisons visited ..............................................................42 i. staff and facilities..........................................................................................42 ii. medical screening on admission...................................................................45 iii. medical records and confidentiality .............................................................45 iv. tuberculosis...................................................................................................46 v. HIV................................................................................................................48 vi. hunger strikes................................................................................................48 c. Hospital for Prisoners, Yerevan .............................................................................49 5. Other issues of relevance to the CPT's mandate..............................................................54 a. staff.........................................................................................................................54 b. contact with the outside world ...............................................................................54 c. discipline and segregation ......................................................................................56 d. complaints and inspection procedures ...................................................................58 D. Psychiatric establishments (Nubarashen Republican Psychiatric Hospital).....................60 1. Preliminary remarks ........................................................................................................60 2. Ill-treatment .....................................................................................................................60 3. Staff .................................................................................................................................61 4. Patients' living conditions.................................................................................................63 5. Treatment and regime......................................................................................................64 6. Ward 6 for persons undergoing forensic psychiatric assessment......................................66 7. Means of restraint ............................................................................................................68 8. Safeguards in the context of involuntary hospitalisation.................................................69 E. Military detention facilities ....................................................................................................72 III. RECAPITULATION AND CONCLUSIONS ......................................................................76 APPENDIX I - LIST OF THE CPT'S RECOMMENDATIONS, COMMENTS AND REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION ...........................................................................83 APPENDIX II - LIST OF THE NATIONAL AUTHORITIES AND NON-GOVERNMENTAL AND INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS WITH WHICH THE DELEGATION HELD CONSULTATIONS ................................100 Copy of the letter transmitting the CPT's report Strasbourg, 28 April 2003 Dear Ambassador, In pursuance of Article 10, paragraph 1, of the European Convention for the prevention of torture and inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, I enclose herewith the report to the Government of Armenia drawn up by the European Committee for the prevention of torture and inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment (CPT) after its visit to Armenia from 6 to 17 October 2002. The report was adopted by the CPT at its 50th meeting, held from 4 to 7 March 2003. I would like to draw your attention in particular to paragraph 232 of the report, in which the CPT requests the Armenian authorities to provide an interim and a follow-up response on the action taken upon its report. The Committee would be grateful if it were possible, in the event of the responses forwarded being in Armenian, for them to be accompanied by an English or French translation. It would also be most helpful if the Armenian authorities could provide a copy of the responses in a computer-readable form. I am at your entire disposal if you have any questions concerning either the CPT's report or the future procedure. Finally, I would be grateful if you could acknowledge receipt of this letter.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Armenia Page 1 of 13
    Country Report on Human Rights Practices in Armenia Page 1 of 13 Armenia Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2006 Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor March 6, 2007 Armenia, with a population of approximately 3.2 million, is a republic. The constitution provides for a popularly elected president (Robert Kocharian) and a unicameral legislature (National Assembly). A constitutional referendum in 2005 and presidential and National Assembly elections in 2003 were seriously flawed and did not meet international standards. The country has a multiparty political system. Civilian authorities generally maintained effective control of the security forces; members of the security forces committed a number of human rights abuses. The government's human rights record remained poor, and serious problems remained. Citizens were not able freely to change their government; authorities beat pretrial detainees; the national security service and the national police force acted with impunity; authorities engaged in arbitrary arrest and detention; prison conditions were cramped and unhealthy, although slowly improving; authorities imposed restrictions on citizens' privacy, freedom of the press, and freedom of assembly. Journalists practiced self-censorship, and the government and laws restricted religious freedom. Violence against women and spousal abuse were problems, as were trafficking in persons, discrimination against persons with disabilities, and societal harassment of homosexuals. There were reports of forced labor. There were some improvements during the year. The implementation of constitutional reforms ratified in 2005 led to some increase in judicial independence and for the first time gave citizens direct access to the Constitutional Court. Penalties for trafficking were toughened and a court for the first time imposed financial, as well as criminal, penalties on traffickers.
    [Show full text]
  • UNITED NATIONS COMMITTEE AGAINST TORTURE 59 Session 7 November to 7 December 2016 PARTNERSHIP for OPEN SOCIETY INITIATIVE's J
    UNITED NATIONS COMMITTEE AGAINST TORTURE 59th Session 7 November to 7 December 2016 PARTNERSHIP FOR OPEN SOCIETY INITIATIVE’S JOINT SUBMISSION TO THE COMMITTEE AGAINST TORTURE ON THE FOURTH PERIODIC REPORT OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA REGARDING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CONVENTION AGAINST TORTURE AND OTHER CRUEL, INHUMAN OR DEGRADING TREATMENT OF PUNISHMENT October 17, 2016, Yerevan, Armenia Hereby, the Partnership for Open Society Initiative,1 representing more than 60 civil society organizations, presents a joint submission prepared by the following civil society organizations, public monitoring groups, human rights lawyers and attorneys: 1. Coalition to Stop Violence Against Women; 2. Center for Rights Development NGO; 3. Committee to Protect Freedom of Expression; 4. Foundation Against the Violation of Law NGO; 5. Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly–Vanadzor; 6. Helsinki Committee of Armenia Human Rights Defender NGO; 7. Journalists' Club Asparez; 8. Open Society Foundations – Armenia; 9. Protection of Rights without Borders NGO; 10. Rule of Law Human Rights NGO; 11. Group of Public Monitors Implementing Supervision over the Criminal-Executive Institutions and Bodies of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Armenia; 12. Public Monitoring Group at the Detention Facilities of the Police of the Republic of Armenia; 13. Davit Khachaturyan, Justice Group, Open Society-Foundations-Armenia, Expert, Ph.D; 14. Inessa Petrosyan, Attorney; 15. Tigran Hayrapetyan, Attorney; 16. Tigran Safaryan, Attorney; 17. Vahe Grigoryan, Attorney, Legal Consultant at EHRAC (Middlesex University). Contacts Persons David Amiryan Karine Ghazaryan Open Society Foundations-Armenia Open Society Foundations-Armenia Deputy Director for Programs Civil Society Program Coordinator E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] 1 http://www.partnership.am/en/index 1 Contents INTRODUCTION .........................................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Armenia by Alexander Iskandaryan
    Armenia by Alexander Iskandaryan Capital: Yerevan Population: 3.0 million GNI/capita, PPP: US$8,140 Source: The data above are drawn from the World Bank’sWorld Development Indicators 2014. Nations in Transit Ratings and Averaged Scores 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 Electoral Process 5.75 5.75 5.75 5.50 5.75 5.75 5.75 5.75 5.75 5.75 Civil Society 3.50 3.50 3.50 3.50 3.75 3.75 3.75 3.75 3.75 3.75 Independent Media 5.50 5.50 5.75 5.75 6.00 6.00 6.00 6.00 5.75 5.75 National Democratic Governance 5.00 5.00 5.25 5.25 5.75 5.75 5.75 5.75 5.75 5.75 Local Democratic Governance 5.50 5.50 5.50 5.50 5.50 5.50 5.75 5.75 5.75 5.75 Judicial Framework and Independence 5.25 5.00 5.00 5.25 5.50 5.50 5.50 5.50 5.50 5.50 Corruption 5.75 5.75 5.75 5.75 5.50 5.50 5.50 5.25 5.25 5.25 Democracy Score 5.18 5.14 5.21 5.21 5.39 5.39 5.43 5.39 5.36 5.36 NOTE: The ratings reflect the consensus of Freedom House, its academic advisers, and the author(s) of this report. The opinions expressed in this report are those of the author(s). The ratings are based on a scale of 1 to 7, with 1 representing the highest level of democratic progress and 7 the lowest.
    [Show full text]
  • EUROPE a Albania • National Historical Museum – Tirana, Albania
    EUROPE A Albania • National Historical Museum – Tirana, Albania o The country's largest museum. It was opened on 28 October 1981 and is 27,000 square meters in size, while 18,000 square meters are available for expositions. The National Historical Museum includes the following pavilions: Pavilion of Antiquity, Pavilion of the Middle Ages, Pavilion of Renaissance, Pavilion of Independence, Pavilion of Iconography, Pavilion of the National Liberation Antifascist War, Pavilion of Communist Terror, and Pavilion of Mother Teresa. • Et'hem Bey Mosque – Tirana, Albania o The Et’hem Bey Mosque is located in the center of the Albanian capital Tirana. Construction was started in 1789 by Molla Bey and it was finished in 1823 by his son Ethem Pasha (Haxhi Ethem Bey), great- grandson of Sulejman Pasha. • Mount Dajt – Tirana, Albania o Its highest peak is at 1,613 m. In winter, the mountain is often covered with snow, and it is a popular retreat to the local population of Tirana that rarely sees snow falls. Its slopes have forests of pines, oak and beech. Dajti Mountain was declared a National Park in 1966, and has since 2006 an expanded area of about 29,384 ha. It is under the jurisdiction and administration of Tirana Forest Service Department. • Skanderbeg Square – Tirana, Albania o Skanderbeg Square is the main plaza of Tirana, Albania named in 1968 after the Albanian national hero Skanderbeg. A Skanderbeg Monument can be found in the plaza. • Skanderbeg Monument – Skanderberg Square, Tirana, Albania o The monument in memory of Skanderbeg was erected in Skanderbeg Square, Tirana.
    [Show full text]
  • Armenia Page 1 of 18
    Country Report on Human Rights Practices in Armenia Page 1 of 18 Armenia Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2007 Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor March 11, 2008 Armenia is a constitutional republic with a population of approximately 3.2 million. The constitution provides for an elected president and a unicameral legislature (the National Assembly). The May parliamentary elections failed to fully meet international standards due to procedural flaws, despite improvements over past elections. The country has a multiparty political system. Civilian authorities generally maintained effective control of the security forces, although some members of the security forces committed human rights abuses. The government's human rights record remained poor, and serious problems remained. Citizens were not able to freely change their government; authorities beat pretrial detainees; the National Security Service (NSS) and the national police force acted with impunity; authorities engaged in arbitrary arrest and detention; prison conditions were cramped and unhealthy, although slowly improving; authorities imposed restrictions on citizens' privacy, freedom of press, and freedom of assembly. Journalists continued to practice self-censorship, and the government and laws restricted religious freedom. Violence against women and spousal abuse remained problems, as well as trafficking in persons, discrimination against persons with disabilities, and societal harassment of homosexuals. There were reports of forced labor. RESPECT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS Section 1 Respect for the Integrity of the Person, Including Freedom From: a. Arbitrary or Unlawful Deprivation of Life The government and its agents did not commit any politically motivated killings; however, the government reported that during the year, there were three army homicides and four suicides which were judged as resulting from military-related hazing.
    [Show full text]
  • THIRD SECTION CASE of BAYATYAN V. ARMENIA
    THIRD SECTION CASE OF BAYATYAN v. ARMENIA (Application no. 23459/03) JUDGMENT STRASBOURG 27 October 2009 This judgment will become final in the circumstances set out in Article 44 § 2 of the Convention. It may be subject to editorial revision. BAYATYAN v. ARMENIA JUDGMENT 1 In the case of Bayatyan v. Armenia, The European Court of Human Rights (Third Section), sitting as a Chamber composed of: Josep Casadevall, President, Elisabet Fura, Corneliu Bîrsan, Boštjan M. Zupan čič, Alvina Gyulumyan, Egbert Myjer, Ann Power, judges, and Stanley Naismith, Deputy Section Registrar , Having deliberated in private on 6 October 2009, Delivers the following judgment, which was adopted on that date: PROCEDURE 1. The case originated in an application (no. 23459/03) against the Republic of Armenia lodged with the Court under Article 34 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (“the Convention”) by an Armenian national, Mr Vahan Bayatyan (“the applicant”), on 22 July 2003. 2. The applicant was represented by Mr J. M. Burns, Mr A. Carbonneau and Mr R. Khachatryan, lawyers practising in Georgetown (Canada), Patterson (USA) and Yerevan respectively. The Armenian Government (“the Government”) were represented by their Agent, Mr G. Kostanyan, Representative of the Republic of Armenia at the European Court of Human Rights. 3. The applicant alleged that his conviction for refusal to serve in the army had unlawfully interfered with his right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. 4. By a decision of 12 December 2006, the Chamber declared the application admissible under Article 9 of the Convention and the remainder inadmissible.
    [Show full text]
  • The Current State of Housing in Tbilisi and Yerevan: a Brief Primer 8 Joseph Salukvadze, Tbilisi
    Research Collection Journal Issue Cities in the South Caucasus Author(s): Petrosyan, Sarhat; Valiyev, Anar; Salukvadze, Joseph Publication Date: 2016-09-23 Permanent Link: https://doi.org/10.3929/ethz-a-010819028 Rights / License: In Copyright - Non-Commercial Use Permitted This page was generated automatically upon download from the ETH Zurich Research Collection. For more information please consult the Terms of use. ETH Library No. 87 23 September 2016 Abkhazia South Ossetia caucasus Adjara analytical digest Nagorno- Karabakh www.laender-analysen.de/cad www.css.ethz.ch/en/publications/cad.html CITIES IN THE SOUTH CAUCASUS Special Editor: David Sichinava, Tbilisi State University | Fulbright Visiting Scholar at CU Boulder ■■The Transformation of Yerevan’s Urban Landscape After Independence 2 Sarhat Petrosyan, Yerevan ■■Urban Development Baku: From Soviet Past To Modern Future 5 Anar Valiyev, Baku ■■The Current State of Housing in Tbilisi and Yerevan: a Brief Primer 8 Joseph Salukvadze, Tbilisi ■■CHRONICLE From 22 July to 20 September 2016 12 This special issue is funded by the Academic Swiss Caucasus Network (ASCN). Research Centre Center Caucasus Research German Association for for East European Studies for Security Studies Resource Centers East European Studies University of Bremen ETH Zurich CAUCASUS ANALYTICAL DIGEST No. 87, 23 September 2016 2 The Transformation of Yerevan’s Urban Landscape After Independence Sarhat Petrosyan, Yerevan Abstract Like most of the world’s cities, Yerevan’s landscape has changed dramatically over the past 25 years, partic- ularly as a result of post-soviet Armenia’s sociopolitical shifts. Although these urban transformations have been and continue to be widely discussed in the local media, there is insufficient research and writing on this process and its circumstances.
    [Show full text]
  • University of California
    UCLA UCLA Electronic Theses and Dissertations Title The Calouste Gulbenkian Library, Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem, 1925-1990: An Historical Portrait of a Monastic and Lay Community Intellectual Resource Center Permalink https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8f39k3ht Author Manoogian, Sylva Natalie Publication Date 2012 Supplemental Material https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8f39k3ht#supplemental Peer reviewed|Thesis/dissertation eScholarship.org Powered by the California Digital Library University of California UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA Los Angeles The Calouste Gulbenkian Library, Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem, 1925-1990: An Historical Portrait of a Monastic and Lay Community Intellectual Resource Center A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy in Library and Information Science by Sylva Natalie Manoogian 2013 ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION The Calouste Gulbenkian Library, Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem, 1925-1990: An Historical Portrait of a Monastic and Lay Community Intellectual Resource Center by Sylva Natalie Manoogian Doctor of Philosophy in Library and Information Science University of California, Los Angeles 2013 Professor Mary Niles Maack, Chair The Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem is a major religious, educational, cultural, and ecumenical institution, established more than fourteen centuries ago. The Calouste Gulbenkian Library is one of the Patriarchate’s five intellectual resource centers. Plans for its establishment began in 1925 as a tribute to Patriarch Yeghishe I Tourian to commemorate the 50th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood. Its primary mission has been to collect and preserve valuable works of Armenian religion, language, art, literature, and history, as well as representative works of world literature in a number of languages.
    [Show full text]
  • Chapter 3 Ground Survey
    Chapter 3 Ground Survey Chapter 3 Ground Survey 3.1 Drilling, Laboratory Tests The outline of the lithologic structure in Yerevan can be understood by the geological maps and the collected drilling database, which contains 5,094 logs; however, the data concerning the S wave velocity for the amplification analysis and the soil properties for the liquefaction analysis are not enough. To collect these data, 10 drillings were newly conducted in Yerevan and several tests were conducted using these boreholes. The quantities of the tests are shown in Table 3.1-1. Table 3.1-1 Quantities of Tests Category Quantities Drilling 30m x 10 Groundwater Level Measurement 10 Standard Penetration Test 129 Disturbed Soil Sampling 116 Laboratory Test 116 The drilling points are mainly set to the area where the Quaternary deposits cover because it is effective for the amplification of the earthquake motion by the ground and liquefaction potential. The geologic condition of Yerevan was estimated as follows from the existing information. The rock layer may be shallow in the northern area and the soft soils cover the southern area. Therefore, the selected newly boring points locate in the south of Yerevan city (Figure 3.1-1). The surface soils of each drilling points are shown in Table 3.1-1. The drilling logs are shown in Data Book. The example of drilling log is shown in Figure 3.1-1. 3-1 Final Report Vol. II Main Report 1 Figure 3.1-1 Location of drilling points Table 3.1-2 Surface geology of the drilling points Quaternary layer Symbol Age No.
    [Show full text]
  • IHF Report 2007
    ARMENIA 13 Arman Babajanian (far right), editor-in-chief of the oppositional Jamanak Yerevan newspaper, defending himself during a trial against him. © Photolur In its 2006 Freedom in the World re- Despite continued efforts by the in- port, Freedom House rated Armenia as be- ternational community to promote a ing “partly free.”1 The status of political peaceful settlement of the Nagorno rights in the country was given a score of Karabakh conflict, there was no concrete 5, and the status of civil liberties a score of progress in 2006. In an interview given to 4, on a scale from 1 (highest degree) to 7 pro-governmental media on 15 Decem- (lowest degree). The report concluded ber, President Robert Kocharyan said that that “Armenians cannot change govern- no resolution of the conflict should be ex- ment democratically.” pected prior to the May 2007 parliamen- At the end of the year, the government tary elections since an agreement could had yet to implement the recommenda- be “used adversely” by the political oppo- tions made by the Parliamentary Assembly sition. In light of this, the Helsinki Asso- of the Council of Europe in resolutions ciation of Armenia deemed it unlikely that 1361,2 13743 and 14054, all of which were any steps forward would actually be tak- adopted in 2004. These resolutions en before the March 2008 presidential addressed a number of major human elections. rights concerns, including the use of force In July, the National Assembly ap- to disperse peaceful demonstrations in proved an amnesty on the occasion of the 2004, the continued assault on journalists 15th anniversary of the Republic of Arme- and human rights defenders, flaws related nia.
    [Show full text]
  • Are the Billboards Effective in Yerevan? Hovhannes Minasyan
    Are the billboards effective in Yerevan? Hovhannes Minasyan American University of Armenia Research Methods Section B Maria Titizyan 09.12.2016 Abstract “Doing business without advertising is like winking at a girl in the dark. You know what you are doing but nobody else does.” ― Steuart Henderson Britt, Marketing Management and Administrative Action Companies spend thousands of dollars every month to place their advertising on these billboards. Usually they do not get return of investments, because the excessive amount of billboards makes the companies that advertise work on quantity not quality. Of course, if one uses half of the billboards of Yerevan, they will achieve their result, because the billboards that are positioned effectively will give a result and those which are positioned in a wrong place, will be a waste of money. To help marketing companies and businesses to make competent decisions, a research will be conducted. Answering the proposed research question will help advertisers and advertising agencies to optimize their work. People who seek means of advertising and cannot choose a proper tool will have a better understanding of the effectiveness of outdoor advertising. The research serves as a teaching material to marketing or advertising companies to learn more about the selection of advertising channels creation of a good message and to plan their media marketing campaigns accordingly. The marketing and advertising industry is rapidly moving itself into the internet and digitalizing the practice. It is vital to understand which traditional marketing and advertising channels are relevant nowadays to the advertisers and marketing professionals. Some practitioners consider some usual channels irrelevant and that those do not possess any common sense due to the fact that the internet industry and technology are developing very fast and it is easier to reach the potential audiences there.
    [Show full text]
  • CAUCASUS ANALYTICAL DIGEST No. 87, 23 September 2016 2
    No. 87 23 September 2016 Abkhazia South Ossetia caucasus Adjara analytical digest Nagorno- Karabakh www.laender-analysen.de/cad www.css.ethz.ch/en/publications/cad.html CITIES IN THE SOUTH CAUCASUS Special Editor: David Sichinava, Tbilisi State University | Fulbright Visiting Scholar at CU Boulder ■■The Transformation of Yerevan’s Urban Landscape After Independence 2 Sarhat Petrosyan, Yerevan ■■Urban Development Baku: From Soviet Past To Modern Future 5 Anar Valiyev, Baku ■■The Current State of Housing in Tbilisi and Yerevan: a Brief Primer 8 Joseph Salukvadze, Tbilisi ■■CHRONICLE From 22 July to 20 September 2016 12 This special issue is funded by the Academic Swiss Caucasus Network (ASCN). Research Centre Center Caucasus Research German Association for for East European Studies for Security Studies Resource Centers East European Studies University of Bremen ETH Zurich CAUCASUS ANALYTICAL DIGEST No. 87, 23 September 2016 2 The Transformation of Yerevan’s Urban Landscape After Independence Sarhat Petrosyan, Yerevan Abstract Like most of the world’s cities, Yerevan’s landscape has changed dramatically over the past 25 years, partic- ularly as a result of post-soviet Armenia’s sociopolitical shifts. Although these urban transformations have been and continue to be widely discussed in the local media, there is insufficient research and writing on this process and its circumstances. This article attempts to cover some aspects of these transformations from 1991 to 2016, with a specific focus on urban planning and policy aspects. Introduction became an important aspect of the independent nation’s This year, the Republic of Armenia celebrates the capital that, together with rapid developments in cen- 25th anniversary of its independence.
    [Show full text]