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ANNUAL REPORT ON THE ACTIVITIES OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER AND VIOLATIONS OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS IN THE COUNTRY DURING 2009 YEREVAN 2010 Contents PART 1.MAIN AREAS OF THE DEFENDER’S ACTIVITIES................................................5 1.1. Complaints and Complainants.......................................................................................5 1.1.1. Statistical Analysis of Complaints................................................................................5 1.1.2. Legal Advice..............................................................................................................14 1.1.3. Meeting with Citizens................................................................................................16 1.1.4. Visits and Rapid Response.......................................................................................16 1.2. Cases Favorably Resolved .........................................................................................19 1.3. Expert Review of Draft Legal Acts................................................................................22 1.4. Information and Public Relations.................................................................................23 1.4.1. Preparation and Dissemination of Daily Information on thev Defender’s Activities............................................................................................................25 1.4.2. Daily Monitoring of Armenian and Foreign Mass Media for Publications Related to Human Rights.....................................................................................................................25 1.4.3. Organizing Press Conferences and Interviews with the Defender and His Staff......26 1.4.4. Measures to Raise General Legal Awareness and Specifi c Public Awareness of Human Rights.....................................................................................................................27 1.4.5. Maintaining the Defender’s Website.........................................................................27 1.5. International Cooperation.............................................................................................27 1.6. Cooperation with Non-Governmental Organizations...................................................31 PART 2. HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS ARISING FROM LEGISLATION .......................32 2.1. Civil and Political Rights...............................................................................................32 2.1.1. Prohibition of Torture.................................................................................................32 2.1.2. Right to a Fair Trial....................................................................................................36 2.1.3. Right to Personal Liberty and Protection..................................................................39 2.1.4. Right to Vote and Be Elected....................................................................................39 2.2. Economic and Social Rights........................................................................................40 2.2.1. Labor Rights..............................................................................................................40 2.2.2. Social Security Rights...............................................................................................43 2.2.3. Property Rights.........................................................................................................47 2.2.4. Right to Live in a Healthy Environment.....................................................................48 PART 3. ANALYSIS OF HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS BY PUBLIC BODIES..................51 3.1. National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia............................................................51 3.2. Government of the Republic of Armenia......................................................................52 3.2.1. State Committee of the Real Estate Cadastre adjunct to the RoA Government.......57 3.2.2. National Security Service adjunct to the RoA Government.......................................58 3.3. Police of the Republic of Armenia................................................................................59 3.4. Prosecutor’s Offi ce of the Republic of Armenia...........................................................62 3.5. Special Investigative Service of the Republic of Armenia............................................63 3.6. Monitoring of Court Practice.........................................................................................64 3.6.1. Impact of Legislative Shortcomings on the Effectiveness of Fair Trial......................64 3.6.2. Legislation Permitting the Return of a Case for Additional Pre-Trial Investigation.........................................................................................................65 3.6.3. Legal Practice concerning Detention (Ordered or Changed) as a Precautionary Measure..............................................................................................................................66 3.6.4. The Courts’ Interpretation of Contempt of Court.......................................................66 3.6.5. Provision of Free Legal Aid.......................................................................................67 3.6.6. Protection of Property Rights....................................................................................68 3.6.7. Protection of Defense Lawyers.................................................................................69 3.7. Monitoring of Court Hearings.......................................................................................70 3.7.1. Acquittals by RoA Courts ..........................................................................................70 3.8. State Bodies in the System of the RoA Ministry of Justice..........................................71 3.8.1. Department for Compulsory Execution of Judicial Acts............................................71 3.8.2. Penitentiary Institutions of the RoA Ministry of Justice.............................................73 3.9. Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Armenia...........................................................73 3.10. RoA Ministry of Territorial Administration (Infrastructures).........................................75 3.10.1. Migration Agency.....................................................................................................77 3.10.2. State Committee for Water Resources...................................................................78 3.11. RoA Ministry of Education and Science.....................................................................80 3.12. RoA Ministry of Health Care.......................................................................................81 3.13. RoA Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs....................................................................82 3.13.1. RoA State Service for Social Insurance..................................................................82 3.13.2. “State Employment Service” Agency of the RoA Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs.......................................................................................................................85 3.13.3. Medical-Social Expertise Commission....................................................................85 3.13.4. State Labor Inspectorate.........................................................................................86 3.14. RoA Ministry of Finance.............................................................................................86 3.15. RoA Ministry of Environmental Protection..................................................................86 3.16. RoA Ministry of Transport and Communication..........................................................89 3.17. Territorial Administration Bodies and Local Self-Government Bodies........................90 3.17.1. Provincial Government Offi ces................................................................................91 3.17.2. Yerevan City Administration....................................................................................93 3.17.3. Administrative Districts of Yerevan..........................................................................98 3.17.4. City & Town Administrations....................................................................................99 3.17.5. Village Administrations..........................................................................................102 4.2. Rights of the Child......................................................................................................112 4.3. Rights of Persons with Disabilities.............................................................................114 4.4. Rights of Refugees.....................................................................................................116 4.5. Rights of National Minorities.......................................................................................117 4.6. Rights of Women........................................................................................................119 ANNUAL REPORT 2009 PART 1. MAIN AREAS OF THE DEFENDER’S ACTIVITIES 1.1. Complaints and Complainants 1.1.1. Statistical Analysis of Complaints During the period 1 January to 30 December 2009, the Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia (hereinafter, “the Defender”) received 3,783 complaints from 4,683