Human Rights Defenders’ Statement on the International Day of Human Rights

On the International Human rights day, we, human rights NGOs in Armenia, are expressing our deep concern about the law enforcement bodies, judicial body of Armenia and the problems related to execution of justice.

We are sorry to state that in 2009 human rights defenders recorded a number of cases of tortures, use of violence for extracting testimonies, violations of the right to a fair trial.

As a vivid example, we would like to mention the March 1-2 events taken place in 2008 and their consequences. So far neither the circumstances of the ten death cases due to use of force nor those who were guilty for that have been revealed.

The PACE resolutions 1609, 1620, 1643 and 1677 adopted on Armenia have not been fully exercised.

Today there are still more than ten political prisoners in detention facilities.

We, the representatives of NGOs in Armenia, condemn any kind of violence and demand from the authorities of Armenia

1.    to present the actions held for revealing the circumstances of the ten citizens’ death on March 1, 2008

2.    to reveal immediately the circumstances of the ten citizens’ death and call them to responsibility and with this put the atmosphere of impunity to end

3.    to immediately set free all the political prisoners creating a country without any political persecutions

Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly-Vanadzor

Civil society Institute

Transparency International Anticorruption center

Armenian Helsinki committee

Armenian Helsinki Association

Collaboration for Democracy Center

Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Armenian Committee

Against Violation of Law