Russian Military Presence in Armenia and Its Impact on Human Rights Situation
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1 The project benefits from the support through the EaP CSF Re-granting Scheme. The donors of the Re-granting Scheme are the European Union and National Endowment for Democracy. The overall amount for this call for proposal is 270.000 EUR.This report has been produced with the assistance of the European Union. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly-Vanadzor office, Promo-LEX Association and East European Security Research Initiative Foundation and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union. Authors Artur Sakunts (Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly-Vanadzor office, Armenia) Armine Sadikyan (Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly-Vanadzor office, Armenia) Ion Manole (Promo-LEX Association, Moldova) Alex Postica (Promo-LEX Association, Moldova) Maksym Khylko (East European Security Research Initiative Foundation, Ukraine) Oleksandr Tytarchuk (East European Security Research Initiative Foundation, Ukraine) 2 Contents Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 4 Foreign Military Presence and Human Rights Situation .....................................................................4 Russian Military Presence in Armenia and its Impact on Human Rights Situation ............... 5 General Overview of the Formation of Military-Political Relations between Russia and Armenia .....................................................................................................................................................................5 Chronology of Formation of the Russian Military Base in the Republic of Armenia .......................9 The documents signed between the Republic of Armenia and the Russian Federation on the Russian military base in the Republic of Armenia ............................................................................. 10 Description of incidents with the servicemen of the Russian military bases in the Republic of Armenia in chronological order (media publications) ........................................................................ 14 Russian Military Presence in Moldova and its Impact on Human Rights Situation ............. 35 Historical and political background of the presence of the Russian Armed Forces on the territory of Moldova ................................................................................................................................ 35 The documents signed by the Republic of Moldova and the impact thereof on the human rights .................................................................................................................................................................. 37 The background of the human rights in the Transnistrian region ................................................... 49 The impact of the Russian army presence over the general situation in the Transnistrian region .................................................................................................................................................................. 50 Human rights violation cases related to the Russian military presence ........................................ 52 Russian Military Presence in Ukraine and its Impact on Human Rights Situation .............. 57 Historical and political background of the presence of the Russian Black Sea Fleet on the territory of Ukraine .................................................................................................................................. 57 Analysis of legal provisions regulating Russian (foreign) military presence in Ukraine through the lens of human rights protection ..................................................................................................... 60 Impact of the Russian military presence in Ukrainian Crimea on the human rights situation .... 65 Conclusions ............................................................................................................................................. 73 Annex 1.The documents signed between the Republic of Armenia and the Russian Federation ................................................................................................................................. 75 Annex 2. The documents signed between the Republic of Moldova and the Russian Federation ................................................................................................................................. 79 Annex 3. Control/Oversight Mechanisms to Prevent Human Rights Violations by Foreign Troops Deployed in Ukraine .................................................................................................... 83 3 presence on the territories of the newly independent countries that emerged from Introduction the collapse of the Soviet Union. In all three cases, Moscow used its military presence not to strengthen security of the countries of Foreign Military Presence and Human deployment, but primarily for the sake of Rights Situation Russian geopolitical and economic interests, including strengthening of own influence on In world’s practice, there is no unambiguous neighbouring states. correlation between the foreign military presence and the human rights situation – In all three cases, the proper legislation and this correlation is different in each case, monitoring/oversight mechanisms were not depending on many factors, starting from established to monitor and supervise the the initial situation on the ground, open and compliance of the Russian military presence hidden goals of the foreign power that with the legislations of the host countries, deploys its militaries abroad, and up to the bilateral agreements as well as the ability to create clear and balanced legal international law, including the basis for the deployment of foreign troops humanitarian one. In all three host and to properly monitor its implementation. countries, the human rights violations resulted from the foreign (Russian) military There were cases, when foreign military presence were not properly investigated, and presence helped to stop and prevent the actually this military presence led to mass violations of the human rights – mainly significant deterioration in human rights under the UN peacekeeping umbrella. The situation. history also provided examples when foreign military bases became stabilising factors and In such circumstances, the role of civil human security guarantors positively society and human rights organizations influencing human rights situations in the performing the functions of monitoring the countries of their deployment. The observance of human rights and protection mandatory condition for such positive cases of fundamental rights and freedoms, was readiness of the foreign militaries to including through the use of existing respect the international human rights law international mechanisms and human rights and the international humanitarian law. institutions, is significantly increased. Another important factor was adherence of Hence, the Security and Defence Sector the foreign power deploying its militaries Reform & Developing process of the post- abroad to the international law and Soviet countries remains to be an important fundamental principles of democracy, as well element to address the hybrid threats to as respect to sovereignty and territorial human security caused by foreign military integrity of the countries of deployment. presence. Unfortunately, Armenia, Moldova, and The experience of the impact of the foreign Ukraine are not from the list of these (Russian) military presence impact on successful examples. Although the situation human rights situation in Armenia, Moldova, with foreign military presence in all three and Ukraine provides important cases to be countries differs significantly, they cannot all learned, to draw attention to the challenges be called successful examples in the context to human rights posed by the lack of proper of impact of the foreign military presence on legislative and practical mechanisms of human rights situation. human rights monitoring and protection, In all three cases, Moscow actually used its and to improve the situation where it is control over the former USSR Armed Forces’ possible as well as to avoid similar mistakes military bases to maintain their military in the future. 4 Russian Military Presence in Armenia Federation (hereinafter referred to as the and its Impact on Human Rights 1992 Agreement/Treaty) on the status of the Situation Russian Federation Border Troops and the Conditions of their Activity in the Territory of the Republic of Armenia. General Overview of the Formation of At the same time, the 102nd Russian base in Military-Political Relations between Gyumri is still operating, and the Treaty Russia and Armenia between the Republic of Armenia and As one of the republics of the Soviet Union, Russian Federation regarding the Russian Armenia was strategically significant from military base on Armenian1 territory the viewpoint of security, since it was (hereinafter referred to as 1995 bordering Turkey, a NATO member state. Agreement/Treaty) was signed only in Due to this, a number of military bases were September of 1995. It is worth noting that the operating in the territory of the country, intergovernmental agreement on the which protected not only the Soviet-Turkish operation of the 102nd military base in and Soviet-Iran borders, but also were Gyumri was signed after the ceasefire stationed in different settlements of the agreement