Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan.17
By Leman Zeynalova – Trend:
Armenian authorities should fully respect due process rights for all detainees and ensure independence of the judiciary, Human Rights Watch said in its World Report 2019, Trend reports.
The report reads that the new government in Armenia revived an investigation into the March 2008 deadly clashes between protesters and security forces, and authorities brought charges against then-president Robert Kocharyan and two commanders.
“They also brought charges against a policeman accused of seriously ill-treating four defendants in a court basement. However, in September, the authorities suspended the investigation into another similar episode in July 2016,” said the report.
As the authorities deal with past grievances, they should fully respect due process rights for all detainees and ensure independence of the judiciary, Human Rights Watch said.
Other human rights concerns in Armenia, according to the report, include domestic violence; violence and discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people; lack of access to quality education for children with disabilities; and institutionalization of people with psychosocial disabilities (mental health conditions) and intellectual disabilities.
“The authorities also need to address widespread harassment, discrimination, and violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. Political parties and some politicians tried to exploit widespread homophobia and made hateful and derogatory comments during the pre-election period,” said Human Rights Watch.
The report reads that while Armenia continued to transform some residential institutions for children into community centers and to support family-based care, these programs did not include children with disabilities on an equal basis with other children.
“Existing legislation allows the government to deprive people with psychosocial or intellectual disabilities of their legal capacity, and there are no supported decision-making systems that would enable people with disabilities to instead get the help they need to live in the community. As a result, some people with disabilities remain in institutions indefinitely.”
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