The RA permanent representative to the United Nations Karen Nazaryan addressed a letter to the Secretary General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon in connection with the tragic events in Sumgait and Baku.

Armenia’s Ombudsman Armen Harutyunyan has addressed a letter to the chief of police on Tuesday inviting his attention to violations of detainees’ right to have a lawyer. In the letter the human rights defender said he expected Major-General Alik Sargsyan to issue instructions to all police divisions to strictly follow the implementation of this right in detaining people or placing them in police custody.

A controversial Armenian tabloid known for running outrageously disparaging stories about public and political figures has effectively been vindicated for derogatory treatment of parliament member last year.

After struggling for more than two years the parents of a deceased soldier have managed to get the court to reject the theory of their son’s deadly electrocution through two officers’ negligence and send the case back to the military prosecutor’s office. They continue to suspect premeditated murder and a high-level cover-up and hope additional inquiry will shed more light on the case.

Cases of violence against journalists and interference in and obstruction of their work decreased in 2009 as compared to the previous year, which was a “more aggressive” year in that respect, according to a local watchdog’s report.

On Friday (December 25) Human Rights Defender of Armenia presented the ‘Public Ad Hoc Report Ensuring Right to a Fair Trial in the Republic of Armenia’ report. The study by Armenia’s public defender is an indictment on Armenia’s judicial system, revealing courts that are not independent and a process that does not guarantee fair treatment or protection.

Deceased soldier Tigran Ohanjanyan’s parents claim the judge hearing the case of their son’s death refuse to meet their demand for material evidence related to the case to be presented in court and neglect the results of a related forensic examination. They insist such a body of evidence, if presented in court, will exclude the current theory of electrocution through carelessness.

Armenian experts in gender equality issues think that democracy in Armenia will not become full-fledged until women get fully involved in the democratic process. According to experts, the existing problems in the sphere of women’s rights will be possible to solve first by speaking about them out loud, which is yet impossible in Armenia, since a majority of Armenian women are reluctant to speak about violence against them.

Thursday was International Human Rights Day, and a day on which Armenia’s first ombudswoman told media that Armenia is backsliding.

Armen Harutyunyan is capable of advancing the country considerably in terms of human rights defense due to his activities as Armenia’s Ombudsman. This opinion was expressed by Christian Le Roux, Director of Cabinet of the French Ombudsman, in an interview with ArmeniaNow.