The Council of Europe has not got any positive impact on the human rights situation in Armenia Mikael Danielyan, the leader of the Armenian Helsinki Association for Human Rights said at a conference organised by the Norwegian Helsinki Committee and NUPI, the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs 17th of November. (22-NOV-04)
Armenia became member of Council of Europe the 25th of January 2001. In the introduction Gunnar Karlsen from the Norwegian Helsinki Committee underlined the strong criticism from human rights organizations of granting Armenia membership, since the state did not comply with the Council of Europe standards. On the other side people argued that Council of Europe’s projects would educate and increase the competence and could facilitate progression in the Armenia- Azerbaijan peace process.
As target issues related to human rights Mikael Danielyan mentioned the discrimination of Christian minority groups as the Jehova´s witnesses, the widespread use of torture in prison and the violation of free assembly. Armenia still occupies 20% of the territory of Azerbaijan that remains Agorno-Karabag as an unsettled problem. However the Council of Europe does not feel responsible for the territory, which is part of the OSCE mission.
Failure of implementation
In Danielyan´s opinion the membership has only given the Armenian leadership more travel experience. The authorities use the membership as an excuse for rewriting the Constitution. As an example of the failure to implement the Council of Europe requirements Danielyan told about the transfer of the penalty system. After pressure from Council of Europe the penalty system was transferred from the Ministry of Internal Affairs to the Ministry of Justice. The institutional change did not have the expected outcome since the authorities transferred 1200 deputies from the Ministry of Internal Affairs to the Ministry of Justice at the same time.
-Democracy is not something you can carry with you in a suitcase and expect its principles being implemented.
