Recent Articles
2010/09/03

HAK vows to “reconquer” Liberty Square
On September 17, the Armenian National Congress (HAK) will not seek conflict with the Armenian authorities and will not rally people at Liberty Square.
Comments Full Story

2010/09/02

HAK decided
The HAK (Armenian National Congress) today decided where to hold its September 17 rally during a session convened at the central office. The decision will be released tomorrow.
Comments Full Story

2010/07/15

Jailed Opposition Leader Remains Defiant
Nikol Pashinian, an outspoken opposition leader and newspaper editor, remained in defiant mood and categorically ruled out asking the Armenian authorities for pardon on Thursday.
Comments Full Story

2010/07/14

Rejected: Court of Appeal dismisses action by 03/08 victims’ families
Armenia’s Criminal Court of Appeal on Tuesday dismissed the actions of the legal successors of Tigran Khachatryan, Armen Farmanyan and Gor Kloyan, killed in the March 1, 2008 post-election clashes after being hit by tear gas capsules presumably fired by riot police. The victims’ parents appealed the verdict by the Kentron and Nork-Marash Court of General Jurisdiction, which a month ago dismissed the victims’ actions, according to which they accused the Special Investigation Service of inappropriate investigation of the murder circumstances.
Comments Full Story

2010/07/07

Armenian Ombudsman Concerned About Media Freedom
Armen Harutiunian, the state human rights ombudsman, described as “worrisome” the situation with media freedom in Armenia, in a special report released on Wednesday. The report deplores physical attacks on local journalists, “restrictions” on news reporting and strong government influence on Armenian broadcast media.
Comments Full Story

2010/07/05

Clinton urges Armenia to revise new media law
Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Monday she had raised U.S. concerns about an Armenian law that could limit pluralism on radio and television and was told that the government might change it in the autumn.
Comments Full Story

2010/07/05

“President Obama backs Armenia”
During the meeting, she expressed concern over the freedom of press in Armenia, in particular over the recent amendments and addenda to the RA Law on Television and Radio which have aroused great public protest in Armenia.
Comments Full Story

2010/07/02

Armenian Oppositionist Freed Before Trial
A young Armenian opposition activist was unexpectedly set free on Friday after spending a month in pre-trial detention on controversial charges which he and his backers consider politically motivated.
Comments Full Story

2010/06/25

PACE Officials Question Armenian Reform Plan
Senior representatives of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) have expressed misgivings about a plan of political reforms which the Armenian authorities say would address the lingering political fallout from the 2008 post-election unrest in Yerevan.
Comments Full Story

2010/06/21

Police Drop Case Against Pro-Opposition Businessman
Police in Yerevan have formally closed a highly controversial criminal case against a brother of Khachatur Sukiasian, a prominent opposition businessman and politician, it emerged on Monday.
Comments Full Story

2010/06/18

Opposition Party Leaders Resign
The two top leaders of a key opposition party aligned in the Armenian National Congress (HAK) have stepped down amid conflicting reports about their disagreements with the opposition bloc led by former President Levon Ter-Petrosian.
Comments Full Story

2010/06/18

U.N. Official Deplores Rights Abuses In Armenia
A senior United Nations official accused the Armenian authorities of restricting civil liberties and dissenting viewpoints on the airwaves as she ended a fact-finding visit to Yerevan on Friday.
Comments Full Story

2010/06/17

Opposition To Press Ahead With Yerevan Sit-In
Representatives of the opposition Armenian National Congress (HAK) said on Thursday that they will proceed with plans to stage a sit-in at Yerevan's Liberty Square to demand the liberation of opposition figures remaining in prison.
Comments Full Story

2010/06/17

Arrested Policeman ‘Scapegoated For Custody Death’
An Armenian police officer prosecuted for allegedly ill-treating a man who died in police custody in April has pleaded not guilty to the accusation and feels that he was made a scapegoat by investigators, his lawyer said on Thursday.
Comments Full Story

2010/06/16

Armenia Fined By European Court For ‘Inhuman Treatment’
The European Court of Human Rights has fined Armenia’s authorities 16,000 euros ($20,000) for what it regards as “inhuman” treatment of an Armenian businessman who died in prison last year.
Comments Full Story

2010/06/16

UN Human Rights Special spokesperson Margaret Sekagyan Wednesday held a meeting with Armenia's first president Levon Ter-Petrossian
UN Human Rights Special spokesperson Margaret Sekagyan Wednesday held a meeting with Armenia's first president Levon Ter-Petrossian
Comments Full Story

2010/06/14

Opposition Activists Questioned By Police
Police in Yerevan questioned on Monday three members of the opposition Armenian National Congress (HAK) over their involvement in scuffles with police forces blocking opposition access to a recently renovated square.
Comments Full Story

2010/06/11

Independent TV Says Still Upbeat On Renewed Broadcasts
The owner of Armenia’s leading independent television station taken off the air in 2002 said on Friday that he still expects to win a new broadcasting license this year despite the passage of a government-drafted lawl criticized by media groups.
Comments Full Story

2010/06/08

Court Rejects Lawsuits Against Yerevan Unrest Investigators
A Yerevan court on Tuesday rejected the last of lawsuits against law-enforcement authorities filed two months ago by relatives of Armenians who died in the March 2008 post-election violence in the capital.
Comments Full Story

2010/06/07

HAK activists hold march in defence of Kiramijyan
Young activists of the Armenian National Congress (HAK) today held a protest march to the Prosecutor's Office in defence of Davit Kiramijyan, a young HAK activist taken to the police station from Liberty Square.
Comments Full Story

2010/06/07

Regime Change ‘Top Priority’ For Dashnaks
The Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) on Monday declared leadership change in Armenia a top priority but again stopped short of demanding President Serzh Sarkisian’s immediate resignation.
Comments Full Story

2010/06/04

SDHK: “Vacate Liberty Square”
Social Democrat Hunchakian Party (SDHK) has issued a statement accusing Armenian authorities of permissiveness and denouncing police actions.
Comments Full Story

2010/06/03

STATEMENT BY CSI
Civil Society Institute NGO (CSI), which is a member organization of International Federation of Human rights (FIDH) in Armenia, is concerned about the recent actions of the police which were accompanied with human rights violations.
Comments Full Story

2010/06/03

Demand stopping the limitations
Civil Society Institute NGO (CSI), which is a member organization of International Federation of Human rights (FIDH) in Armenia, is concerned about the recent actions of the police which were accompanied with human rights violations.
Comments Full Story

2010/06/03

David Kiramijyan arrested
On June 3, the Court of General Jurisdiction of Kentron and Nork Marash districts upheld the mediation of the Special Investigation Service for taking opposition activist David Kiramijyan under two months' arrest.
Comments Full Story

2010/06/03

Appeal Case Against Kocharyan Has Been Sent to The Hague
We found out yesterday that on the preceding day, the Armenian National Congress had sent the case against Robert Kocharyan to the International Criminal Court of The Hague.
Comments Full Story

2010/06/02

OSCE Concerned About Armenian TV Bill
A senior official from the Organization for Security and Cooperation has expressed concern about a controversial bill which Armenian press freedom groups say would enable the government to tighten its grip on broadcast media.
Comments Full Story

2010/06/02

STATEMENT BY CPJ
New York, June 2, 2010?The Committee to Protect Journalists is very concerned that Armenian authorities are detaining Ani Gevorgian, a journalist for the pro-opposition daily Haykakan Zhanamak, after she was arrested on assignment on Monday.
Comments Full Story

2010/06/02

Prosecutors Take Over Arrested Journalist’s Case
A law-enforcement agency subordinated to state prosecutors on Wednesday took over the criminal case against a young journalist arrested on what she and Armenia’s leading media associations consider political grounds.
Comments Full Story

2010/06/02

Opposition Activists, Journalist Face Jail After Rally Attempt
Two young opposition activists and a journalist were formally placed under arrest and faced the possibility of up to five years’ imprisonment on Tuesday for allegedly assaulting riot police in Yerevan.
Comments Full Story

2010/06/01

17 political prisoners now
"There are three more political prisoners in addition to the 17," announced today Armenian National Congress coordinator Levon Zurabyan, assuring that he would do everything possible to support the journalist and opposition activists who were arrested on Monday.
Comments Full Story

2010/06/01

Once bit, twice shy
What has been happening these past few days in Liberty Square and the surrounding area is nothing other than the manifestation of the ruling authorities’ panic.
Comments Full Story

2010/06/01

Historic Square Off-Limits To Armenian Opposition
At least 15 people were detained in Yerevan on Monday as the Armenian police continued to block opposition access to a newly renovated square that has traditionally been the country’s main venue for political gatherings.
Comments Full Story

2010/06/01

Three Held After Armenian Opposition Supporters, Police Scuffle
Three people have been put under arrest after scuffles between Armenian police and opposition supporters trying to enter a Yerevan square that has traditionally been the country's main venue for political gatherings.
Comments Full Story

2010/05/19

Samvel Nikoyan does not take the report seriously
In their report Andranik Kocahryan and Seda Safaryan, members of the RA disbanded fact-finding group investigating the events of March 1, 2008, say the authorities involved armed forces in the post-election unrest which is a rough breach of the country's Constitution. The group's members say they sent you facts but you failed to pay attention to them, moreover, you "deliberately ignored the facts." What is your opinion on this?
Comments Full Story

2010/04/23

Ex-Military Officials Admit To Scandalous Leak
Two former Defense Ministry officials admitted on Friday disclosing a secret government order that paved the way for the Armenian military’s involvement in the suppression of the 2008 opposition protests in Yerevan.
Comments Full Story

2010/03/10

ANNUAL REPORT OF HELSINKI ASSOCIATION ON HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA FOR THE YEAR OF 2009
This report is prepared by Helsinki Association in frames of the project “The Situation of Human Rights in Armenia” with the financial assistance of US Embassy in Armenia and Fond for National Endowment for Democracy.
Comments Full Story

2010/03/09

Yerevan Urged To Act On OSCE Criticism
The Armenian authorities should draw “serious conclusions” from an OSCE report criticizing the trials of dozens of opposition members arrested after the 2008 presidential election, a senior pro-government lawmaker said on Tuesday.
Comments Full Story

2010/03/01

Two years have passed since March 1 deadly clashes
Two years ago the first dawn of spring was marked with greave news.
Comments Full Story

2010/03/01

Right to move restricted
The Armenian National Congress (HAK) is holding a rally in Yerevan at 5:00 March 1. Although the City Hall has sanctioned the rally, residents of marzes are denied entry to the capital.
Comments Full Story

2010/03/01

SIS: “Page of March 1 is not closed”
"The page of March 1 cannot be considered closed," Vahagn Harutyunyan, a senior Special Investigation Service (SIS) official heading the probe into the events of March 1, 2010, told A1+.
Comments Full Story

2010/03/01

AAE calls for tolerance and solidarity
The Assembly of Armenians of Europe (AAE) has issued a statement in connection with the 2nd anniversary of the tragic events of March 1, 2008.
Comments Full Story

2008/10/09

Police Avoid Action Against MP Blamed For Deadly Beating
The Armenian police indicated on Thursday that they will not prosecute a controversial pro-government parliamentarian widely linked with an attack on a Yerevan café that left one person dead.
Comments Full Story

2008/10/02

U.S. Experts To Help Launch Fresh Probe Of Armenian Unrest
Three American experts who participated in an independent inquiry into the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States will arrive in Yerevan this week to help launch a similar probe of the post-election violence in Armenia, it was announced on Thursday.
Comments Full Story
2009/12/25
Policemen are tried and amnestied
A Yerevan court today sentenced Kentron district policemen Gegham Harutyunyan and Hovhannes Ghukasyan to two years' imprisonment.
Comments Full Story
2009/12/24
OLIGARCHY IS THE THREAT
On December 24, summing up and assessing the year 2009, the representative of the Armenian National Congress David Shahnazaryan said the year did not bring any achievement to Armenia, instead the economic decrease showed that the oligarchic system is one of the threats to the Armenian national security.
Comments Full Story
2009/12/11
WHEN IS THE END? - Open Letter by Lilia Chakarian
Mr. non-legal President, you can consider my article as an open letter as well. It has almost been a year since you have started playing your role, which is called the President of the Republic of Armenia, and it should be said that you play it pretty bad. Not only me, but any Armenian, I believe, would not think that during the independence, about which we had been dreaming, we will be among the world’s countries that are reckoned to those which violate human rights, have despotic regime, have violated press, have reporters, who are persecuted and corrupted, and have shameful social-economic conditions. So, as you sow, you shall mow... Well, everything one after another... The tragedy of your governing began with the addition of another sad day to the history of Armenia. You are right. March 1st can be reckoned among the memorial days of innocent victims, can be reckoned among another genocide day, this time not by Turks, but by Armenian authorities – a crime against one’s own nation. The authority, which Levon Ter-Petrosyan, the leader of ANC (Armenian National Congress), called Tatar-Mongol regime. The door of the Armenian Government was knocked with bloody hands. I think it is needless to talk about election falsifications, because since 1998 and until the present, all elections in Armenia had been falsified and the brilliant proof to that are severe censures of the authorities of Armenia by different international organizations: the US State Department, Human Rights, Freedom House, Helsinki Human Rights Committee, European Council… Shall I continue or that is enough?
Comments Full Story
2009/12/09
LEVON TER-PETROSYAN MET WITH THE UN-ARMENIA DIALOGUE MISSION
On December 8, the Armenian first president Levon Ter-Petrosyan met with the Armenia-EU dialogue mission on human rights - the Sweden's ambassador for Human issues Jan Axel Nordlander
Comments Full Story
2009/06/12
Ter-Petrosian Pushes For Broader Opposition Collaboration
Armenia’s main opposition has again called on all “democratic forces” to join its continuing push for a leadership change in the country, indicating that last month’s elections to Yerevan’s municipal council swept by the ruling party brought forth no need for changing its further action mode.
Comments Full Story
2009/06/06
STATEMENT ON THE ANNULEMENT OF THE FACT-FINDING GROUP
On June 6, Serzh Sargsyan annulled his executive order on the establishment of the Fact-Finding Group of Experts, and thereby put an end to the activities of the Group.
Comments Full Story
2009/06/04
Invalid elections in three polling stations
According to Part 4, Article 40 of the RA Electoral Code, in the case of invalid results of elections, the present materials are presented to the prosecutor's office to instigate a criminal case.
Comments Full Story
2009/06/03
Citizens complain of election outcome
Part of Yerevan citizens regret participating in the May 31 mayoral election. A1+ conducted a poll to learn our citizens' opinion on the Sunday vote. Most of our respondents say the outcome of the election was predetermined and their votes were ignored.
Comments Full Story
2009/06/01
People expect HAK to act
"We feared lest you should be disappointed with the election outcome. But your presence and determination encourage us to continue the struggle," senior oppositionist Ararat Zurabyan said during today's rally of the opposition Armenian National Congress (HAK).
Comments Full Story
2009/06/01
"Shame on you!"
"The electoral system of Armenia was finally ruined after yesterday's election," announced Amalia Kostanyan, Head of the Transparency International Organization.
Comments Full Story
2009/05/31
Levon Ter-Petrosyan will express his opinion tomorrow
HAK's candidate for Yerevan's Mayor, Levon Ter-Petrosyan voted at Precinct 9/10 at 1.00 p.m.
Comments Full Story
2009/05/31
Came from Gyumri to vote
Ten "Gazel" minibuses were parked in front of the Armenian Football Federation building until 5 p.m., while drivers were sitting on the sidewalks.
Comments Full Story
2009/05/29
Opposition newspapers bought up
"Aravot," "Haykakan Zhamanak," "Hayq" and "Chorrord Ishkhanutyun" dailies disappeared from the kiosks of Erebuni District today morning. A group of people bought up all copies of the aforesaid newspapers.
Comments Full Story
2009/05/29
Levon Ter-Petrossian's Speech at the May 29, 2009 Rally
Dear compatriots, Today I will try to refrain from going into a systematized analysis of domestic and foreign policy issues as I will limit myself to some observations only, which are deduced from the current situation.
Comments Full Story
2009/05/29
HAK rallies thousands near the Matenadaran
The opposition Armenian National Congress (HAK) today concluded its election campaign with a rally near the Matenadaran. The opening ceremony was trusted to "Mher Manukyan" rock group which performed songs authored by Nikol Pashinyan.
Comments Full Story
2009/03/15
Levon Ter-Petrosyan to Run for Yerevan Mayor
Today, Levon Ter-Petrosyan, the first president of Armenia, was selected to head the ticket of the Armenian National Congress (HAK) in the upcoming Yerevan mayoral election.
Comments Full Story
2009/02/27
Comments Full Story
2008/10/23
Arman Babajanian: Imprisoned For His Political Activity - By Sarkis Chakarian
The 32 year old chief editor and founder of Zhamanak – Yerevan daily Armenian newspaper, Arman Babajanian was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison in the year of 2006 for something he did not do.
Comments Full Story
2008/10/14
TECHNOLOGY WILL PROVE THAT THE JAW AND BLOOD ARE UNEDITED
The activities of the NA temporary committee on the March 1 events are getting more and more absurd. For months, the committee was trying to find out at what time the dispersion of demonstrators from Freedom Square began and when it ended, and then they tried to confuse the Armenian public claiming that the video going around was edited and the scenes of a person’s jaw or blood did not correspond to the reality.
Comments Full Story
2008/10/10
Armenian Opposition Sees ‘Turning Point’ In Struggle
Next week’s opposition rally in Yerevan will mark a “turning point” in the Armenian opposition’s year-long struggle against the government, a top ally of former President Levon Ter-Petrosian said on Friday.
Comments Full Story
2008/10/08
OPPOSITION CLAIM PARTIALLY UPHELD
The judge of the Armenian Administrative Court Artsrun Mirzoyan has partly upheld the claim of the Armenian National Congress against the Yerevan City Hall.
Comments Full Story
2008/10/02
“I JOINED LEVON WITH A CLEAR CONSCIENCE”
We joined the Movement and are going to stay as long as the people never lose faith in Levon Ter-Petrosyan. I joined the movement with a clear conscience. We are going to fight until the end, that is, until we see Levon Ter-Petrosyan in the big chair,” stated today Jirair Sefilyan in response to those who think that Sefilyan regrets standing by Levon Ter-Petrosyan and joining the Armenian National Congress. This was the only statement made by Sefilyan on this topic. His main topic today was the foreign policies of the authorities and promised “A1+” to discuss domestic policies as well.
Comments Full Story
2008/09/02
LEVON TER-PETROSYAN REVEALS THREE MORE DOCUMENTS
On September 2 the first president Levon Ter-Petrosyan held a news conference and revealed three documents which, according to Levon Ter-Petrosyan, are evidence to the monstrous crimes of the present government which it commits against the society and the state, as well as indicate the level of the spheres of law enforcement and justice.
Comments Full Story
2008/09/02
Ter-Petrosian Unsure Of Success
Former President Levon Ter-Petrosian sounded a cautious note about his forthcoming fresh push for regime change on Tuesday, saying that both the Armenian authorities and his opposition movement are “in deadlock” after months of bitter political confrontation.
Comments Full Story
2008/08/09
ARMENIAN OPPOSITION INSISTS ON PRESIDENT'S RESIGNATION, NEW ELECTIONS
The Armenian opposition insists on President Serzh Sargsyan's resignation and the holding of new presidential elections, Ruzanna Khachatrian, a member of the board of the opposition People's Party, said at a press conference on Thursday.
Comments Full Story
2008/08/09
ARMENIAN OPPOSITIONIST: "ARMENIA'S WORKING POWERS DO NOT CARE ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL IMAGE OF THE COUNTRY AND PURSUE THEIR OWN INTERESTS"
"The only external task of Armenian powers today is to conceal their crimes", said representative of opposition Public movement David Shahnazaryan.
Comments Full Story
2008/08/07
DAVID SHAHNAZARIAN: MOST IMPORTANT TASK OF PEOPLE'S MOVEMENT IS TO HOLD EARLY PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS IN ARMENIA
The most imprtant task of People's Movement (PM) and the currently forming Armenian National Congress (ANC) is to remove Serzh Sargsyan from his post and hold early presidential elections, representative of the PM center David Shahnazarian stated at the August 7 press conference, adding that it is necessary to establish legal power through elections and restore the constitutional order in Armenia.
Comments Full Story
2008/08/06
ARMENIA: PUSH FOR KOCHARIAN TRIAL -- A PUSH FOR PR?
In a move that could very well hamper rather than promote political reconciliation in Armenia, the country’s leading opposition politician, Levon Ter-Petrosian, is mounting a campaign to have former president Robert Kocharian tried for "heavy crimes" against the Armenian people.
Comments Full Story
2008/08/06
ARMENIAN OPPOSITION DEMANDS PRESIDENT'S RESIGNATION
Armenian opposition leader and former President Levon Ter-Petrosian demanded President Serzh Sargsyan's resignation and the calling of early presidential elections at an opposition rally on Friday.
Comments Full Story
2008/08/02
Armenian opposition gets organized: protests to heat up in September
Despite unbearable heat and vacation season almost at its height, thousands joined the opposition rally in central Yerevan sending a very clear message to the authorities that discontent with the current state of affairs has no signs of fading away. It was despite reportedly blocking the roads to the capital (surprise-surprise!) to prevent people from the regions to attend the rally. It was despite the ‘killing’ heat which forced many people to gather in surrounding areas, under the shade, and then join the post-rally march, which was impressive by any standards. With its inability to alleviate political crisis, administration of Armenia’s incumbent president Serj Sargsyan faces the very real possibility of high scale popular upheaval in months to come.
Comments Full Story
2008/07/19
When You One Tries to Bypass the Bloodshed of March 1st
July 19 is the hundredth day of Serge Sargsyan’s presidency. Usually, this is the period when the first steps of a president are assessed and conclusions on his further steps are made. What can be concluded from one hundred days of presidency of Serge Sargsyan? Almost nothing or that during those one hundred days the presidency did not start. The point is that Serge Sargsyan has been unable to solve the most important problem, the legitimacy of the government. Unless this problem is solved, presidency cannot be considered as complete even if one is president for ten years or even one hundred years.
Comments Full Story
2008/06/27
CHARGES INTRODUCED TO CHAIRMAN OF THE PRECINCT ELECTORAL COMMISSION 13/16
According to the communication of the RA General Prosecutor’s Office of June 27, the Chairman of the Precinct Electoral Commission 13/16 of Erebuni community of Yerevan Vasil Afian was charged on Article 149 of the RA Criminal Code (“Obstruction of the realization of the right to vote, the work of electoral commissions or the competence of people taking part in elections”). The case was directed to the court of general jurisdiction of Erebuni and Nubarashen communities of Yerevan.
Comments Full Story
2008/06/26
Armenian Government Failed to Lull March 1 Murders Issue
The CoE secretary general Terry Davis said in an interview with Radio Liberty that the most important is the investigation of the murders of March 1.
Comments Full Story
2008/06/05
Levon Ter-Petrosyan "Youth is the pillar of our society"
Armenia’s First President addressed the rally at Liberty Square today.
Comments Full Story
2008/06/04
DID THE SIDES START A DIALOGUE_
Member of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaktsutiun (ARF) Alvard Petrossian would have participated in Ter-Petrossian’s rallies and political strolls in Northern Avenue if she hadn’t broken her leg. “I live in Armenia and I am interested in all events occurring in my homeland,” Alvard Petrossian said today.
Comments Full Story
2008/05/28
ADVANCING FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY REPORTS 2008
Armenia is a constitutional republic with a popularly elected president and a unicameral legislature (National Assembly). The February 2008 presidential elections were significantly flawed. Problems included favorable treatment of the government's candidate, instances of ballot stuffing, vote-buying, multiple voting, voter intimidation, violence against opposition commission members and proxies, and suspiciously high turnout figures. On March 1, 2008, the government imposed a state of emergency and used force to disperse large crowds of protesters, restricting media freedoms and the right of assembly and arresting scores of protesters.
Comments Full Story
2008/04/29
Judge orders resumed inquest into appeal in dismissed “Death in Police Custody” Case
Last May Levon Gulyan, 31, was taken to police for questioning as a presumed witness of a murder committed near a restaurant that belonged to him and several hours later his family received his dead body.
Comments Full Story
2008/04/18
ARMENIA: US OFFICIALS SAY YEREVAN RISKS LOSING DEVELOPMENT FUNDS
Armenia could lose US economic support if it does not quickly take action to promote a "national dialogue," US legislators and administration officials are cautioning.
Comments Full Story
2008/04/18
The Council of Europe threatens to deny Armenia the right to vote
// The Council of Europe threatens to deny Armenia the right to vote
Comments Full Story
2008/04/14
Political Prisoner: Arman Babajanian - By Sarkis Chakarian
Arrested in June 26, 2006 in Yerevan Armenia, Arman Babajanian, never saw it coming. He was visiting Armenia as his newspaper “Zhamanak”, headquartered in Los Angeles, CA, opened its Armenian Branch in Yerevan, Armenia. It was several days after “Zhamanak” started operating in Yerevan, when Arman Babajanian was imprisoned. The charges that were brought against him are supposedly regarding him not serving in the Armenian army. The actual charge brought forth by the prosecution was “Avoidance of military service, military exercise or summons”. In addition, the authorities convicted Arman Babajanian, not only for not serving in Armenian Army, but also for supposedly making fraudulent documents to dismiss his requirement in serving in the Armenian army. Their accusation of forging documents to avoid drafting for military service in November 2002 and avoidance of military service followed by a conviction to a sentence of 3.5 years in prison.
Comments Full Story
2008/03/21
Bloody Saturday: A breakdown of the day that broke a nation
The cloak of darkness and repression that fell on Yerevan late on March 1 began as a beaming promise to voters under drizzly October skies. Armenia’s opposition, silenced in 2003 by a show of political might, and in 2004 by physical force, once again found its voice with the return to politics of the country’s first elected president Levon Ter-Petrosyan.
Comments Full Story
2008/03/07
Dark Days in Armenia
The democracy that Armenians dreamed of during their long decades under Moscow’s yoke is slipping away. After opponents challenged last month’s flawed presidential election, the government imposed a brutal state of emergency. At least eight people are now dead, independent news outlets throttled and all protests silenced. President Bush and other Western leaders need to make clear to Armenia’s government that such behavior is unacceptable and will jeopardize future relations. Compared to post-Soviet tyrannies like Belarus or Uzbekistan, Armenia may not look so bad. That is why it is so important to halt this slide into authoritarianism before it is too late.
Comments Full Story
2008/03/03
Internet is being consored in Armenia
In the evening of March 2, the Internet Society of Armenia (ISOC) has ILLEGALLY stopped the maintenance of several domains, including A1+ - www.a1plus.am, Haykakan Zhamanak – www.azatutyun.am, E-channel – www.echannel.am. In the database of ISOC- https://www.amnic.net/whois/ , they are registered as “on hold.”
Comments Full Story
2008/03/02
Armenia: Civilians Die as Police Suppress Demonstrations and Riots
The Armenian government should launch a prompt and independent investigation into the use of lethal force by security forces to quell demonstrations and rioting overnight on March 1, 2008, Human Rights Watch said today. The violence occurred after a 20-day state of emergency was declared by President Robert Kocharian in response to an alleged threat to public order posed by opposition demonstrators.
Comments Full Story
2008/03/02
Armenia: Police Beat Peaceful Protesters in Yerevan - State of Emergency Restricts Civil Liberties and Free Press
Armenian police on March 1 used excessive force and violence to disperse demonstrators protesting peacefully against recent election results, Human Rights Watch said today. Following the crackdown on demonstrators, President Robert Kocharian decreed a state of emergency in Yerevan, the capital, until March 20, 2008. There was a heavy police presence overnight in central Yerevan.
Comments Full Story
2008/02/14
Armenia crackdown: an ex-Soviet pattern?
Armenia is the latest in a string of ex-Soviet countries to crack down hard on peaceful protesters alleging electoral fraud. Last weekend, security forces – using truncheons, tear gas, and stun guns – dispersed several thousand supporters of former president Levon Ter-Petrosyan.
Comments Full Story
Links