RA Ombudsman publicizes 2008 annual report on situation in
sphere
10-03-2009 19:00:00 | Armenia | Human Rights
YEREVAN, MARCH 10, NOYAN TAPAN. On March 10, RA Ombudsman
Armen Haroutiunian publicized the 2008 annual report on
protection of human rights in Armenia in 2008.
A. Haroutiunian considers that political system's
authoritarianism has an impact on human rights protection in
Armenia. At that, it regards both the authorities and the
majority of political parties representing the opposition.
According to him, Armenia's society is more ready for
democratization than country's political system. "Armenian
society's problem is getting rid of Bolshevism heritage, which
requires much persistence," A. Haroutiunian said.
He considers that there are two ways before the country:
either through the system of counterbalances and suppressions to
build a civil society and to improve protection of human rights,
to achieve progress or under conditions of "hegemony" to have
indifferent society, formal nature of human rights, which is a
deadlock. A. Haroutiunian considers that indifference is Armenia's
greatest danger.
According to him, it is time for formation of separate
political and economic elites cooperating with each other in the
country, it is also time to renounce the oligarch system. The
Ombudsman also considers that the oligarch capital should admit
supremacy of law and return part of things they took away from
society coming to a transparent tax sphere. Corruption will
reduce as a result of it and society's most part will be turned
into the medium stratum living with dignity. "Otherwise society
will sooner or later take what is due to it. We propose the
concession that will form civilized, free economic relations and
will keep the Republic of Armenia away from shocks," the
Ombudsman said emphasizing that without a liberal economy it is
no use speaking about protection of human rights. "It is time to
renounce the culture of "possibilities" in favor of the culture
of "law," he stressed.
According to the Ombudsman, passing from the
administrative-political repressive model to democratic
government is a compulsory precondition for country's normal
development.
According to A. Haroutiunian, the current bases of the
repressive system remaining from the Soviet period are
especially the Prosecutor's Office and the Special Investigation
Service. According to the Ombudsman, its evidence is the working
style of the Special Investigation Service, because of which
Ombudsman's office receives many complaints that people are made
to give confession testimony or testimony against third persons.
"Those bodies remained professional in case of subordinating an
individual to the state and non-professional in case of ensuring
supremacy of law. That non-professionalism is a heavy burden for
all of us and first of all for the power system, which, we can
say, has become the hostage of that non-professionalism," A.
Haroutiunian emphasized.
According to Ombudsman's analysis, the atmosphere of fear
does not reduce in society in consequence of existence of the
repressive system, and getting rid of it is among society's most
serious problems.
It was mentioned that the judicial system also has system
problems, and society's confidence in judicial bodies is
inadmissibly low. According to the Ombudsman, the system of
democracy, including independent judicial system, can be
perfected if only there is an exact willingness to establish
democracy.
A. Haroutiunian considers alarming the one-sided activity
of administrative machinery during the state of emergency in
Yerevan from 2008 March 1 to March 20, in consequence of which
only the view of the authorities was voiced 20 days running.
"There was "no more efficient way" for inflaming the passions
and splitting society. Under all conditions and especially after
tragic events people can be calmed down and to some extent
consolidated only through a many-sided society and not through
"brain-washing" with a one-sided agitation," RA Ombudsman Armen
Haroutiunian stated.