Prohibition of Discrimination
Statement: We demand from the RA National Assembly to form an ad hoc ethics committee in accordance with the established procedure and to discuss the conduct of the Vice President of the RA National Assembly
Finding the discriminatory attitude towards persons with disabilities and the speculation of intellectual impairments inadmissible, we demand from the RA National Assembly to form an ad hoc ethics committee and to discuss the conduct of the Vice President of the RA National Assembly.
The representative of the Judicial Department did not deny at the court that the personal data of only the participants in the hearing on Zhirayr Sefilyan’s case were taken
The representative of the RA Judicial Department did not deny that the personal data of only the participants in the court session on Zhirayr Sefilyan’s case were taken and then destroyed. However, he insisted that the participants in all the sessions were searched.
The resident of Spitak Care House demands to restore his competence at the court
The resident of Spitak Care House who was declared incompetent demands to declare him competent and to abolish the guardianship assigned for him.
The data that the Prosecutor of Lori Province has do not correspond to the real statistics
Thus, obviously this has to do with a discriminatory attitude towards people based on their place of living, facts of the formation of stigma, which is a violation of Article 29 of the RA Constitution (Prohibition of Discrimination) and Article 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.
Persons with mental health problems still face discrimination and social isolation
Persons with mental health problems are “imprisoned” at psychiatric hospitals and care facilities and lose their opportunity of self-realization and their own self. This is caused by both the current stigma and stereotypes, and the lack of necessary psychosocial support services and insufficient legislative regulations.
At 17th session of UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Armenian NGO representatives presented the progress in implementation of CRPD
At the briefing of March 27, 2017 at the 17th session of the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, representatives of Armenian NGOs, including HCA Vanadzor representatives Susanna Davtyan and Marieta Temuryan, presented the progress in implementation of Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Working discussion with journalists and representatives of numerous state organizations focused on features of covering problems of persons with mental health problems and drug users
On February 11-12, 2017, Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly-Vanadzor, in cooperation with the Center for Media Initiatives and with the financial support of Sigrid Rausing Trust Foundation, held a working discussion with journalists and representatives of numerous state organizations on the topic of ‘Features of covering problems of drug users and persons with mental health problems’.
Situation of the rights of persons with mental health problems continues to remain concerning
October 10 is the World Mental Health Day. On the initiative of the World Federation for Mental Health and with the support of the World Health Organization, this day is marked since 1992.
Electric Yerevan member Davit Selimyan’s case appealed to European Court of Human Rights
On December 23, 2015, Davit Selimyan’s case was appealed to the European Court of Human Rights. Note that back on June 23, 2015, he was violently apprehended from the electricity price hike protest venue to a police station and unlawfully kept there in violation of the rights under the ECHR articles below: Article 3 (Prohibition of torture), Article 5 (Right to liberty and security), Article 8 (Right to respect for private and family life), Article 10 (Freedom of expression), Article 11 (Freedom of assembly and association), Article 13 (Right to an effective remedy), and Article 14 (Prohibition of discrimination).
Workshop Held on Principle of Equality and Challenges of Discrimination in RA
On April 17-18, the HCA Vanadzor held a workshop in Aghveran on Principle of Equality and Challenges of Discrimination in RA, with the financial support of the OSF-Armenia. The workshop aimed to raise awareness among the staff of the RA MoH psycho-neurologic facilities and RA MoJ penitentiary facilities, lawyers, journalists and human rights defenders of human rights, principle of equality, forms and challenges of discrimination through enhanced knowledge and exchange of experience. The workshop was attended by representatives of the RA Ministry of Justice Penitentiary Department and offices, RA Ministry of Health Inpatient Medical Care Policy Department and psycho-neurologic facilities, journalists, lawyers and civic activists.
HCA Vanadzor position on the institute of declaring adults legally incapable in the RA
The activity of HCA Vanadzor targets among others protection of the rights of persons with mental health problems. Within protection of the rights of persons with mental health problems, in 2007, 2009 and 2013 the Organization carried out human rights monitoring at the neuro-psychiatric facilities in the RA, prepared relevant reports and submitted proposals to competent authorities. In 2014, the Organization submitted an alternative report on fulfillment by the RA of the requirements of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Civil society condemns the promotion of hate speech and discrimination at the state level in Armenia
We, the representatives of civil society, consider discrimination and hate speech, continued physical and psychological persecution of people, as well as violations of the judicial system on these occasions in Armenia unacceptable.