United Nations CCPR/C/ARM/2-3 International Covenant on Distr.: General 22 November 2010 Civil and Political Rights Original: English Human Rights Committee Consideration of reports submitted by States parties under article 40 of the Covenant Joint second and third periodic reports of States parties Armenia*, ** [28 April 2010] * In accordance with the information transmitted to States parties regarding the processing of their reports, the present document was not formally edited before being sent to the United Nations translation services. ** Annexes can be consulted in the files of the Secretariat. GE.10-46857 (E) 031210 CCPR/C/ARM/2-3 Contents Paragraphs Page I. Introduction........................................................................................................ 1–12 3 II. Implementation of the Covenant.......................................................................... 13–670 5 Article 1 ............................................................................................................. 13–66 5 Article 2 ............................................................................................................. 67–106 12 Article 3 ............................................................................................................. 107–152 18 Article 4 ............................................................................................................. 153–175 24 Article 5 ............................................................................................................. 176–179 28 Article 6 ............................................................................................................. 180–203 28 Article 7 ............................................................................................................. 204–243 31 Article 8 ............................................................................................................. 244–255 37 Article 9 ............................................................................................................. 256–282 39 Article 10 ........................................................................................................... 283–314 43 Article 11 ........................................................................................................... 315–316 47 Article 12 ........................................................................................................... 317–331 47 Article 13 ........................................................................................................... 332–339 49 Article 14 ........................................................................................................... 340–411 50 Article 15 ........................................................................................................... 412–417 58 Article 16 ........................................................................................................... 418–422 58 Article 17 ........................................................................................................... 423–431 59 Article 18 ........................................................................................................... 432–446 60 Article 19 ........................................................................................................... 447–473 63 Article 20 ........................................................................................................... 474–480 68 Article 21 ........................................................................................................... 481–495 70 Article 22 ........................................................................................................... 496–516 71 Article 23 ........................................................................................................... 517–537 74 Article 24 ........................................................................................................... 538–571 76 Article 25 ........................................................................................................... 572–607 80 Article 26 ........................................................................................................... 608–624 84 Article 27 ........................................................................................................... 625–670 86 2 GE.10-46857 CCPR/C/ARM/2-3 I. Introduction 1. The Second and Third Joint Periodic Report of the Republic of Armenia on the Implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (hereinafter referred to as “the Covenant”) is hereby presented according to Article 40 of the United Nations International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights based on the guiding principles elaborated by the United Nations for preparing reports. The Report has been elaborated by the interagency working group established upon the Decision of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia No. 320-A of 21 April 2009, which was composed of the representatives from all the interested ministries and agencies: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia Ministry of Healthcare of the Republic of Armenia Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs of the Republic of Armenia Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Armenia Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Armenia Government of the Republic of Armenia Ministry of Nature Protection of the Republic of Armenia Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources of the Republic of Armenia Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Armenia Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Armenia Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Armenia Ministry of Territorial Administration of the Republic of Armenia Police adjunct to the Government of the Republic of Armenia Staff to the President of the Republic of Armenia Staff of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Armenia National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia General Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic of Armenia National Statistical Service of the Republic of Armenia Judicial Department of the Republic of Armenia Office of the Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia Trade Union Confederation of the Republic of Armenia 2. This Report was approved by the Government of the Republic of Armenia on 29 January 2010. It covers the period from 1999 to 2009. The concluding observations and recommendations (CCPR/C/79/Add.100) made by the Human Rights Committee on the previous report of the Republic of Armenia have been taken into consideration in this Report. 3. In 2005, the President of the Republic of Armenia signed a decree on setting referendum on the draft law “On making amendments to the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia.” Based on Article 111 of the Constitution and Article 7 of the Law of the Republic of Armenia “On referendum”, as well as taking as a basis the draft law “On GE.10-46857 3 CCPR/C/ARM/2-3 making amendments to the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia”, the referendum was appointed for 27 November 2005. Amendments and supplements have been made through referendum to the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia (http://www.genproc.am/ main/en/70/), where the provisions on fundamental human and civic rights and freedoms were also subjected to essential reforms by bringing them closer in line with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. 4. Parliamentary elections were held in the Republic of Armenia on 30 May 1999, 25 May 2003, as well as on 12 May 2007, and the presidential elections were held on 19 February/15 March 2003 and then on 19 February 2008. 5. Since 1992, becoming a member of the United Nations and acknowledging the principles of the universal values, human rights protection and establishment of democracy as an inseparable part of the state ideology, Armenia has been actively involved in the activities launched within the framework of this universal organization and has cooperated with many structures and subdivisions of the organization. 6. As a result of the elections held at the United Nations in 2002, the Republic of Armenia was elected from among the Group of Eastern European countries as a member of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights and was re-elected in 2004. Moreover, in 2005–2006 the Armenian representative acted as the Vice-Chairman of the Commission. This was, first and foremost, a vivid evidence of Armenia’s international recognition and enhanced reputation, especially in the sphere of human rights protection. 7. The Criminal Procedure Code of the Republic of Armenia was adopted in 1998 and entered into force in January 1999. It is regularly amended, becoming more compliant with the international commitments of the Republic of Armenia. The Electoral Code of the Republic of Armenia was adopted on 5 February 1999. It was amended on 26 December 2008. The new Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia was adopted on 18 April 2003 and entered into force on 1 August 2003. The Law of the Republic of Armenia “On Human Rights Defender” was adopted on 21 October 2003 and entered into force on 1 January 2004. The new Labour Code of the Republic of Armenia was adopted on 9 November 2004 and entered into force on 21 June 2005. The Judicial Code of the Republic of Armenia was adopted on 21 February 2007 and entered into force on 18 May 2007. The comprehensive national program on human rights protection is currently under development, pending approval in 2011. 8. The Republic of Armenia is a signatory to numerous