NA RPA MP Lernik Aleksanyan addresses the concerns about Armenian found in the annual reports by Human Rights Watch (HRW) International human rights organization.
Note that the organization has stated that the situation of human rights in Armenia during 2015 has remained unsmoothed, there are serious concerns about the government’s interference in the freedom of rallies. Other concerns include the mass media freedom and poor conditions in prison, including overcrowding and mistreatment, as well as discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexuals and transgender (LGBT) persons. “I’m not familiar with this organization but I do not agree with their data recorded. There is gradual great progress in Armenia on human rights and democracy. Compared to other countries for the period of 2015, the progress of freedom in human rights is apparent in Armenia, by saying freedom, I mean the freedom of the press, human rights and expression.” – said the MP to Aravot.am.
To our observation that the organization in its research on restriction of freedom of expression has included 19 cases of violence against journalists, of which 13 of them were carried out during the June protest “Electric Yerevan”, the MP interrupted and continued, “The analyses by these organizations do not inspire trust to me because driven from political and economic interests, such organizations are implementing an order. I think that the democracy and human rights are developing in Armenia and if the organization says the opposite, I do not believe because I have my analysis, there is no such thing, I do not believe.”
Then, Mr. Aleksanyan said that he does not mean that there are absolutely no problems in Armenia, “I’m not saying there are no drawbacks but importantly that human rights freedom and democracy are flourishing. As for discrimination attitude against the gays and lesbians, as recorded by this organization, it is entirely a different problem, it is the approach and the attitude of the society. I think that there is truth in it because we rely on our traditions, our society naturally treats them badly. But, in any case, I have not yet seen that the gays are arrested and oppressed in Armenia.”
Talking about the poor conditions in prisons – overcrowding, Mr. Aleksanyan confessed that the condition in prison is not good, “Of course, the prisons in Armenia are not so good compared to the jails of the developed countries but we know that new buildings are constructed, what we have is improving but the problems are due to economic opportunities. I repeat the situation at the penitentiaries is improving. Last year a new penitentiary facility was built, the construction for the second one is underway.”
Arpine SIMONYAN
