© Photo by Arthur Manoukian. Discussion on human rights issues in the RA Armed Forces.
Peace Dialogue NGO held an open discussion on the current human rights situation in the RA Armed Forces. This was the first meeting in a series of discussions to be held in different regions around Armenia. Besides the Lori region, it is planned to have similar discussions in four other regions of Armenia: Tavush, Vayots Dzor, Ararat and Syunik.
The meeting was organized in the framework of Peace Dialogue’s one-year project aimed at raising awareness among local and international communities about the human rights situation in the Republic of Armenia (RA) Armed Forces and mobilizing them to increase public demand for transparency, accountability, and greater respect for human rights in the military. Among the invitees were representatives of state institutions, NGOs, mass media and other interested parties.
In the beginning of the meeting Edgar Khachatryan, President of Peace Dialogue NGO, presented an overview of the human rights issues in the RA Armed Forces, which caused the organization to initiate this project. He also discussed the challenges and obstacles that the civil society representatives face in working in this sphere.
Ruben Martirosyan, an expert criminologist who works with the organization, then presented a brief report on the present state of human rights issues and concerns in the RA Armed Forces. He described concrete examples of human rights violations as well as the consequences of such violations and the errors made during the investigation that happen in many military criminal cases.
Lawyer Arthur Sukiasyan introduced the participants to the legal action initiated by Peace Dialogue NGO which challenges the legitimacy of Executive Order N9. Order N9 was issued by the RA Minister of Defense on July 9, 2015 and created an Advanced departmental list of information considered classified. According to Peace Dialogue NGO, the information mentioned in Point 42 and Point 43 in Order N9 on the Advanced departmental list of information considered classified, is not included in the list of the classified information provided by the RA Law on State and Official Secrets, nor does it fit into the formulations prescribed by law and in fact appears to counteract certain provisions of the law.
In addition, the Executive Order N9 contradicts the RA Constitution, the Laws of the RA and the principles of international agreements ratified by Armenia. It severely restricts the abilities of the public to exercise oversight over the activities of the RA Ministry of Defense and clearly separates the Ministry of Defense from the policy of transparency of state bodies adopted by Armenia.
During the meeting Peace Dialogue NGO also presented its website www.safesoldiers.am, which includes an informative database of the human rights violations in the RA Armed Forces, as well as the non-combat fatalities recorded in the armed forces since the ceasefire agreement signed in 1994.
