U.S. State Dept. Published Critical Report on Human Rights in Armenia

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The U.S. State Department issued on March 20, 2023 its annual Country Reports on Human Rights for the year 2022. The report covered 198 countries and territories, including Armenia.

The Executive Summary of the report described the Parliamentary elections of 2021: “the elections were generally well managed, and contestants were able to campaign freely. The elections, however, were also characterized by intense polarization and marred by increasingly inflammatory rhetoric. The observation mission noted that ‘high levels of harsh, intolerant, inflammatory and discriminatory rhetoric in the period leading up to election day tainted the debate.’ Other shortcomings included incidents of pressure to attend campaign events, allegations of vote buying, blurring of the line between the ruling party and state, alleged misuse of administrative resources, inadequate campaign finance provisions, and the narrow standing allowed for submitting electoral complaints.”

Regarding various human rights abuses in Armenia, the State Dept. wrote that there were “credible reports of torture by members of the security forces; harsh prison conditions; arbitrary arrest or detention; serious problems with judicial independence; arbitrary or unlawful interference with privacy; restrictions on freedom of expression; crimes involving violence or threats of violence targeting civil society figures and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex persons; and the worst forms of child labor. The government took only limited steps to investigate and punish alleged abuses by former and current government officials and law enforcement authorities. There was no reported progress on government investigations of alleged abuses committed by Armenian armed forces or individuals during the 2020 hostilities.”

Regarding the 2022 attack by Azerbaijan on Armenia, the State Dept. wrote: “there were reports that Azerbaijani forces engaged in unlawful killings, and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment of Armenian forces in September.”

Under the subtitle, “arbitrary deprivation of life and other unlawful or politically motivated killings,” the State Dept. expressed concerns “regarding noncombat deaths in the army and the failure of law enforcement bodies to conduct credible investigations into those deaths.”

The State Dept. then detailed further problems with elections: “Reports of arbitrary arrests that appeared election-related continued. Law enforcement officials arrested two municipal employees affiliated with the opposition coalition, ‘Strong Community,’ in the Tavush region, on election day, September 25. These arrests followed the detention of four opposition-linked mayors in the Syunik region during and following the June 2021 parliamentary elections.”

There were also serious problems with the courts: “the judiciary was not viewed as independent or impartial due to its history of corruption and political influence, resistance to reform, and recent high-profile scandals. There were unconfirmed reports of attempts by the government to influence judges. The high case load, lack of public trust, and allegations of government pressure discouraged professionals from applying to judgeships. During the year, NGOs continued to report on judges who had acquired significant amounts of property and assets that were disproportionate to their salaries and continued to note that the absence of vetting of all standing judges based on objective criteria — particularly of those in the Supreme Judicial Council and Constitutional Court — undermined the integrity of the judiciary. They further noted that the annual asset declaration checks of sitting judges were limited in scope and did not help to remove corrupt judges.”

Section 2 of the State Dept. report covered: “Respect for Civil Liberties.” Under the subtitle, “Freedom of expression, including for members of the press and other media,” the report stated that “the government generally respected this right, albeit with some restrictions.”

On the topic: “Violence and Harassment,” the report stated: “the local NGO Committee to Protect Freedom of Expression reported 14 cases of violence against 16 journalists during the year, most of which were at the hands of law enforcement and took place when the journalists were covering opposition protests.”

Regarding “Freedom of Peaceful Assembly,” the report stated: “while the government generally respected freedom of assembly, there were some restrictions, particularly disproportionate use of force by police against protesters, police brutality against protesters and journalists, and arbitrary detention of demonstrators…. On June 2, the Coalition to Stop Violence Against Women issued a statement condemning violence by police officers against protesters, violent apprehensions, beatings, and humiliating treatment of protesters, including women…. On the morning of September 21, special police used force and detained 37 relatives of deceased service members, mostly women, who had gathered at the entrance of the military pantheon and were waiting for the arrival of the prime minister and other officials.”

The State Department’s lengthy report on Armenia critically, but accurately, described the various human rights abuses in great detail.

While the State Department does not rank countries on a scale, the U.S.-based Freedom House rated Armenia on its Freedom Score as “Partly Free.” It is disappointing that five years after Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan came to power under the guise of establishing democratic rule, Armenia is still classified as “Transitional Hybrid Regime.”The only consolation for Armenia is that its two hostile neighbors, Azerbaijan and Turkey, have much lower scores. Both Azerbaijan and Turkey are ranked by Freedom House on its Freedom Score as “Not Free.” In terms of democratic rule, Azerbaijan is classified as a “Consolidated Authoritarian Regime,” while the report on Turkey is still pending.


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8 responses to “U.S. State Dept. Published Critical Report on Human Rights in Armenia”

  1. Enis Pınar Avatar
    Enis Pınar

    Perhaps top European legal experts should establish an “Armenia Tribunal” and refer the human rights violations and torture cases to the International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague.

  2. Harut Sassounian Avatar
    Harut Sassounian

    Look who is talking! The biggest human rights abusing country in the world, Turkey, is asking an investigation of Armenia? This is the most ridiculous idea I have read in my life.
    Turkey, the country that has committed multiple genocides and is still continuing its mass crimes in Nagorno Karabagh, Syria, Iraq, Kurdistan, Cyprus, etc., should be the last country in the world to accuse anyone else. Shameful. As the Bible correctly stated: “Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.”

  3. Enis Pınar Avatar
    Enis Pınar

    Of course, as a Türkiye hating Armenian extremist you would think so. It’s okay for people like you to endorse the so-called “Turkey Tribunal” in Belgium’s recent complaint to the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague. But when it comes to Armenia being accused of the same crimes by the U.S., asking for an impartial third-party judicial review is “Shameful” huh? I return your quotation from the Bible right back at you:
    “Thou HYPOCRITE, first cast out the beam out of thine eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.”

  4. Harut Sassounian Avatar
    Harut Sassounian

    Enis,

    I don’t think you have the ability to comprehend plain English. I suggest that before writing another nonsense comment, you learn a little bit of English.
    You say foolishly that the US accuses Armenia of the same crimes as Turkey. This is purely your figment of imagination. I suggest your read my article again, hoping you can comprehend what I wrote. I doubt it, but I suggest you try.
    There is a 4,000 page file of massive Turkish crimes perpetrated by the Turkish government in recent years, according to international law experts. No such thing for Armenia. Stop wasting your time, arguing with me. Please write to the experts on international law. They will laugh in your face. Go ahead. Be my guest. I enjoy seeing someone humiliate himself, repeatedly.

  5. Enis Pınar Avatar
    Enis Pınar

    From your own article above:

    “the State Dept. wrote that there were ‘credible reports of torture by members of the security forces; harsh prison conditions; arbitrary arrest or detention; serious problems with judicial independence; arbitrary or unlawful interference with privacy; restrictions on freedom of expression; crimes involving violence or threats of violence targeting civil society figures and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex persons; and the worst forms of child labor. The government took only limited steps to investigate and punish alleged abuses by former and current government officials and law enforcement authorities. There was no reported progress on government investigations of alleged abuses committed by Armenian armed forces or individuals during the 2020 hostilities.’ ”

    Keep yapping Sassounian.

  6. Harut Sassounian Avatar
    Harut Sassounian

    Thanks for repeating back to me mindlessly my own article. Use your brain. What that paragraph says is nothing compared to the 4000 page list of massive crimes against humanity committed by Turkey for years.
    Have a little honesty. Follow my example. I had no problem publicizing that Armenia had some human rights violations. How about Turkey? Admit the obvious which the whole world knows, apparently except you. Remove your blinders. Can you see the elephant in the room? As long as you keep lying, I will nail you each time. Keep writing and embarrassing yourself. You will never win an argument with me as long as you continue your dishonesty!

  7. Enis Pınar Avatar
    Enis Pınar

    “Can you see the elephant in the room?” No, but I can see the bigot in the room who is afraid to look in the mirror.

  8. Harut Sassounian Avatar
    Harut Sassounian

    You must be looking in the mirror at your miserable self! Don’t you recognize yourself? You need an eye doctor!

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