Corruption and Human Rights: Discussion in Lori Marz
On the 10th of December, 2009, Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly office in Vanadzor held discussion on the impact of corruption on human rights.
The discussion aimed to inform the public about one year of operation of the anticorruption Advocacy and Assistance Center in Lori and general situation of human rights in Armenia in 2009.
Participants were the representatives of mass media of Vanadzor, Spitak, Alaverdi and Tashir, public relations department of Lori marzpetaran, NGOs and students.At the beginning of the event Arthur Sakunts, the head of Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Office in Vanadzor, congratulated the participants for the international Human Rights Day and added that HCAV office in Vanadzor is with each citizen.
A. Sakunts mentioned that in our country the rights for life and freedom of the citizens are being violated as there are still political prisoners, as well as the murder of ten people on the 1st of March, 2008.
From January 2009 to the 10th of December 2009 more than 310 citizens have applied to HCAV office in Vanadzor and its representative offices in Spitak, Stepanavan, Alaverdi and Tashir. Two hundred and eighty of the complaints were related to corruption. These mainly concerned law enforcement bodies, local self-government, Compulsory Execution of Judicial Acts, the Department of State Register of Legal Persons and the State Committee of Real Estate Cadastre of the Government of RA. Arthur Sakunts presented separate events organized by the organization directed to the protection of the rights of draftees, drug users, mentally disabled people.
A separate study on human rights was conducted in the field of local self-government bodies during June –November, 2009. A special attention was drawn to 8 nuro – psychological clinics of RA, as such study has been realized in RA for the first time. Edik Hovsepyan, the representative of PR department of Lori marzpetaran mentioned that HCAV office is the organization viewed as counterbalance by state officials and its activities are found as acceptable.
During the whole year the NGO has written 40 claims to the court. The organazation is the author of unprecedented judical cases such as claims to eliminate inaction of the Police of RA, the Ministry of Defense, and the Prosecution’s Office of Lori marz.
These are the precedents which contribute systemic changes and there is a hope that a day will come that human rights will not be violated in Armenia.
