The right to freedom of association and expression is violated in the Republic of Armenia
06:12, April 3, 2013 | Announcements | Freedom of Assembly and Association, Freedom of Information and Speech | Police
On March 29, 2013 by the decision of R. Minasyan, Senior Investigator of Lori region Investigation Division of the RA Police General Investigation Department, the criminal case lodged over the attack at HCA Vanadzor on April 16 of 1012 was dismissed.
Between 10:00-11:00 a.m. on April 16, 2012 over 200 citizens, including officials from Lori Regional Administration, students from a number of educational establishments, “Yerkrapah “volunteer union members organized a protest action against HCA Vanadzor for the showing of Azerbaijani films at the Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Vanadzor office on April 17, 2012 organized by Caucasus Center of Peace-Making Initiatives.
The protest action was coupled with threats and violence, as a result of which, both the Organization’s staff member and the property suffered. Moreover, all that took place just in front of Police officials and in the condition of their apparent inactivity.
For the second time a decision not to file a criminal case was reached by the investigation conducting bodies, whereby, the agents exerting violations against the activities carried out by the NGO are patronized by encouraging them to commit new suchlike crimes.
International human rights organizations like Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, Freedom House, as well as other Armenian-based organizations have condemned the fact of attack against HCA Vanadzor office.
Moreover, the international human rights organizations have qualified it as restriction and hindrance of the right to freedom of association and expression. By their decision the investigative bodies have violated the right to freedom of association and expression as stipulated by the international treaties and the RA Constitution and haven’t given proper and objective assessment to the fact of attack against human rights organization, which is criminally prosecuted offense pursuant to Article 161 of the RA Criminal Code.
We are going to apply to RA court instances to appeal the apparently illegal decision made by the investigator.
In the same time, we state the direct responsibility regarding each fact of further encroachments in relation to the human rights organization, its members and staff shall rely on the RA Police and its officials, who haven’t or don’t carry out their obligations as defined by the RA Law, but encourage initiators of encroachments against HCA Vanadzor office.
02.04.2013
HCA Vanadzor