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ARMENIA: NEW REPORT PAINTS BLEAK PICTURE FOR COUNTRY'S INDEPENDENT MEDIA, HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS AND LGBTI COMMUNITY
Amnesty International UK
Aug 21 2013
Posted: 22 August 2013
A shocking new report from Amnesty International published today
reveals an alarming culture of persecution in Armenia against both
critics of the ruling regime and the country's lesbian, gay, bisexual,
transgender or intersex (LGBTI) community.
The 20-page report, Armenia: No space for difference, exposes the
harassment and intimidation suffered by civil society activists and
journalists who question the mainstream view of the country's conflict
with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh.
The report also reveals discrimination and attacks on LGBTI activists
and people, and the unwillingness of the authorities to protect them.
In 2011, a survey by the Armenian human rights group, Public
Information and Need for Knowledge, found 71.5% believed the state
should take measures to fight against homosexuals. Since then posters
have appeared across the city of Yerevan calling for citizens to
"fight against homosexuality" and claiming "homosexuals are leading our
country to destruction". The views have been echoed by Armenia's ruling
Republican Party and Parliament's Deputy Speaker Eduard Sharmazanov.
Through national and international obligations the Armenian authorities
have committed to ensure that activists can carry out their work
without interference, obstacles, discrimination or fear of retaliation.
Amnesty International's researcher on Armenia, Natalia Nozadze, said:
"This contrasts starkly with the reality in Armenia - public officials
condone violence against those with dissenting opinions. The targets
of such attacks are often left without adequate protection and offences
against them go unpunished, which has a chilling effect on others.
"Frequently the result is that journalists and human rights defenders
self-censor on contentious issues, which further contributes to the
shrinking space for difference of opinion within Armenian society.
"The ability to exercise the right to freedom of expression, even when
the views expressed may be deemed controversial, and the ability to
gather and demonstrate peacefully are essential for the defence of
human rights and for a functioning civil society."
http://www.amnesty.org.uk/news_details.asp?NewsID=20927
Amnesty International UK
Aug 21 2013
Posted: 22 August 2013
A shocking new report from Amnesty International published today
reveals an alarming culture of persecution in Armenia against both
critics of the ruling regime and the country's lesbian, gay, bisexual,
transgender or intersex (LGBTI) community.
The 20-page report, Armenia: No space for difference, exposes the
harassment and intimidation suffered by civil society activists and
journalists who question the mainstream view of the country's conflict
with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh.
The report also reveals discrimination and attacks on LGBTI activists
and people, and the unwillingness of the authorities to protect them.
In 2011, a survey by the Armenian human rights group, Public
Information and Need for Knowledge, found 71.5% believed the state
should take measures to fight against homosexuals. Since then posters
have appeared across the city of Yerevan calling for citizens to
"fight against homosexuality" and claiming "homosexuals are leading our
country to destruction". The views have been echoed by Armenia's ruling
Republican Party and Parliament's Deputy Speaker Eduard Sharmazanov.
Through national and international obligations the Armenian authorities
have committed to ensure that activists can carry out their work
without interference, obstacles, discrimination or fear of retaliation.
Amnesty International's researcher on Armenia, Natalia Nozadze, said:
"This contrasts starkly with the reality in Armenia - public officials
condone violence against those with dissenting opinions. The targets
of such attacks are often left without adequate protection and offences
against them go unpunished, which has a chilling effect on others.
"Frequently the result is that journalists and human rights defenders
self-censor on contentious issues, which further contributes to the
shrinking space for difference of opinion within Armenian society.
"The ability to exercise the right to freedom of expression, even when
the views expressed may be deemed controversial, and the ability to
gather and demonstrate peacefully are essential for the defence of
human rights and for a functioning civil society."
http://www.amnesty.org.uk/news_details.asp?NewsID=20927