USA Department of State Report about Armenia

On April of 2011, the USA Department of State published its annual report on Human Rights Practices in Armenia. In its report the USA Department of State has made a reference to Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly-Vanadzor reports. It is stated in the Armenian section of Human Rights Report that citizens' right to change their government through peaceful elections was restricted due to repeated, significant flaws in the conduct of elections, including a by-election for a parliamentary seat in January of 2010.

In the section of “Elections and Political Participation” a reference was made to the observation mission data carried out by Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly-Vanadzor during January 10, 2010 by-elections, pursuant to which the chairperson of polling station number 10/19, after receiving complaints about election violations, forcibly evicted those who had complained and closed the polling station for over an hour. During the station's closure, the voters' lists disappeared temporarily until the chairperson returned them, removing them from his jacket. During the day, some voters arriving at the polling station discovered that somebody had already voted under their names. The election commission refused to discuss the numerous complaints lodged with it over its administration of the voting. The results at this and one other polling station were later invalidated. In its findings, HCAV said it observed open voting in 10 polling stations; directed voting and campaigning in 18 stations; and intimidation, threats, and restriction of rights of proxies, observers, and reporters in eight polling stations.

It is stated in the report that according to the military prosecutor report, during the year 54 military servicemen died under noncombat conditions, an increase from 44 in 2009. According to official statistics 11 were killed by enemy fire; of the remaining cases, 13 were murders; eight deaths were due to illnesses; six deaths were caused by car accidents; five deaths by accidents; four deaths were due to mishandling of weapons; three were suicides; three were induced suicides; and one was due to physical violence.

In conformity with the reports, police beat citizens during arrest and interrogation. Prison conditions worsened significantly during the year, in large part due to overcrowding. The authorities continued to arrest and detain criminal suspects without reasonable suspicion and detain arbitrarily individuals who held political affiliations or engaged in activities perceived to be in opposition to the government.

In the reference to Helsinki Citizens Assembly-Vanadzor report, it is noted that in the first nine months of the year it received seven complaints from citizens who alleged police torture either against them or their relatives that was aimed at obtaining information about certain crimes or at extracting self-incriminating testimony. According to HCAV, in most of these cases, the police failed to act on HCAV's reports with a criminal or internal investigation or the police responded by saying that the internal queries revealed no violations.

Courts remained subject to political pressure from the executive branch as well as the self-imposed expectation that judges would find the accused guilty in almost every case. During the year authorities released four individuals who had been convicted in connection with the 2008 presidential election and postelection unrest. Two other individuals convicted in connection with these events were released from prison after serving their full sentences, while a handful of other individuals remained incarcerated.

The mass media, especially television, continued to lack diversity of opinion and objective reporting. There continued to be incidents of violence and intimidation of the press and press self-censorship throughout the year.

Authorities continued arbitrarily to deny the requests by opposition parties and other groups to gather or hold rallies by sometimes providing other venues that prevented access of people to rallies. Authorities and laws restricted religious freedom. Corruption remained a problem, with authorities taking limited measures to curb it. Domestic violence was common, but largely went unreported to authorities. Trafficking was a problem, but authorities took efforts to combat it.
In the “Persons with Disabilities” section a reference was made to the monitoring of mental health facilities in the Syunik and Shirak regions during 2009. It is particularly reported that numerous deficiencies, including poor hygienic conditions, poor nutrition, inappropriate buildings, outdated and ineffective medications, lack of professionally trained staff, instances of physical violence, and use of patient labor in health facilities. HCAV expressed the view that the entire operation of mental health facilities was deficient. It noted the absence of a state policy on mental health, the lack of appropriate legislation for the proper implementation of legislation regulating the work of psychological clinics, the lack of standards and norms for staff conduct, and insufficient funding of facilities.

The report is attached hereby.