HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA 8 0 0 2 T R O P E R L A U 22000088 N N A H U M A N R I G H T S D E F E N D E R O F T H E R E P U B L I C O F A R M E N I A The present Annual Report for 2008 of the Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia has been translated and published with the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida). The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent those of the United Nations (UN), United National Development Programme (UNDP), Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law (RWI) or Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) ANNUAL REPORT 2008 ANNUAL REPORT ON THE ACTIVITIES OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA’S HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER AND VIOLATIONS OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS IN THE COUNTRY 2008 YEREVAN 2009 1 ANNUAL REPORT 2008 Quotes from Sufi Writings One day the students of Abu-Vistam came to him and complained about Satan. “Satan is stealing our faith,” they said. The Sheikh summoned Satan to inquire about this. Satan said: “I do not have the power to force people to do things they don’t want. I am too pious and fearful of God to dare to do that. Men and women renounce their faith over trivial matters; I am gathering pieces of faith that they are throwing away.” Sheikh Mouzamed “While doing everything you can to win someone else’s favor, don’t miss the chance to re-discover yourself.” Mirza Halib 2 ANNUAL REPORT 2008 Watch out! They remain in power... 1. Citizen A.S. is brought handcuffed to a pre-trial identity parade (see Illustrative Case 2, page 113). 2. K.T., the RA Special Investigation Service’s investigator for serious crime, confiscates a (cattle farm) property registered to E.Sh., stating that the true owner of that property was M.M., who was accused of criminal activity (see page 115). 3 ANNUAL REPORT 2008 CONTENTS CONTENTS..............................................................................................................4 AN ALTERNATIVE INTRODUCTION.....................................................................6 PART 1 MAIN AREAS OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER’S ACTIVITIES..................10 1.1.Dealing with Complaints and Complainants...............................................................10 1.1.1.Analysis of Complaint Statistics .............................................................................10 1.1.2.Advice......................................................................................................................15 1.1.3.Hosting Public Meetings .........................................................................................19 1.1.4.Visits and Quick Response Measure........................................................................19 1.2.Cases with Positive Outcomes....................................................................................23 1.3.Review of Draft Legal Acts ........................................................................................26 1.4.Communications and Public Outreach Activities .......................................................30 1.5.Cooperation with Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs).....................................34 1.6.International Cooperation ...........................................................................................35 1.7.Expert Council ............................................................................................................39 PART 2 HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS ARISING FROM LEGISLATIVE ISSUES ...........41 2.1.Civil and Political Rights............................................................................................41 2.1.1.Prohibition of Torture ..............................................................................................41 2.1.2.Right to Fair Trial ....................................................................................................42 2.1.3.Right to Personal Freedom and Protection...............................................................44 2.1.4.Right to the Freedom of Information .......................................................................45 2.1.5.Right to Vote and to be Voted For...........................................................................74 2.1.6.Right to the Freedom of Peaceful and Unarmed Assembly.....................................59 2.2.Economic, Social and Cultural Rights ........................................................................62 2.2.1.Right to work ...........................................................................................................62 2.2.2.Right to Social Security ...........................................................................................62 2.2.3.Right to Property......................................................................................................64 2.2.4.Right to Live in a Healthy Environment..................................................................68 PART 3 ANALYSIS OF HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS BY PUBLIC BODIES .................72 3.1.RA Police................................................................................................................... 73 3.2.RA Prosecutor’s Office...............................................................................................80 3.3.Special Investigation Service......................................................................................82 3.4.Courts..........................................................................................................................85 3.4.1.Monitoring of Court Hearings and Court Activities ................................................85 3.5.The Real Estate Cadastre State Committee under the RA Government .....................91 4 ANNUAL REPORT 2008 3.6.Bodies of the RA Ministry of Justice..........................................................................93 3.6.1.Service for the Compulsory Execution of Court Decisions .....................................93 3.6.2.Penitentiary Facilities.............................................................................................100 3.7.RA Government National Security Service ..............................................................104 3.8.RA Ministry of Defense............................................................................................105 3.9.RA Ministry of Territorial Administration (Infrastructures).....................................105 3.9.1.Migration Agency ..................................................................................................107 3.9.2.State Water Committee..........................................................................................107 3.10.RA Ministry of Education and Science...................................................................108 3.11.RA Ministry of Health ............................................................................................110 3.12.RA Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs .............................................................112 3.12.1.RA State Service for Social Security ...................................................................112 3.12.2.Social–Medical Examination Commission..........................................................116 3.12.3.State Labor Inspectorate.......................................................................................117 3.13.Yerevan Mayor's Office..........................................................................................118 3.14.Regional Administration and Local Government Administration Bodies ..............124 3.14.1.Regional Governor’s Offices (Marzpetarans)......................................................125 3.14.2.Yerevan Municipal District Offices.....................................................................126 3.14.3.Municipal Town Halls .........................................................................................128 3.14.4.Village Halls ........................................................................................................130 PART 4 RIGHTS OF SPECIAL AND VULNERABLE GROUPS.........................................133 4.1.Rights Related to Service in the Armed Forces ........................................................133 4.2.Rights of People with Disabilities.............................................................................147 4.3.Rights of Refugees....................................................................................................148 4.4.Children’s Rights ......................................................................................................150 4.5.Rights of Ethnic Minorities.......................................................................................154 CONCLUDING REMARKS..................................................................................156 ANNEXES............................................................................................................163 5 ANNUAL REPORT 2008 AN ALTERNATIVE INTRODUCTION “If the natural progress of our state had not been waylaid for some 600-700 years, we would most probably have become the driving force behind the values that are so widely espoused by Western democracies today.” From an interview with the RA Human Rights Defender in Hayastani Zrutsakits weekly newspaper (25th July, 2008) Armen Harutyunyan, Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia is