2008 Armenian Presidential Election Protests - International Reaction

International Reaction

The European Union and some Western governments have demanded from the Armenian government a lifting of the 20-day state of emergency.

On March 2, Holly Cartner, Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch said in a statement: "The Armenian government should refrain from using violence and make clear that it won’t tolerate excessive use of force by police... A political crisis doesn’t give the government carte blanche in how it responds to demonstrators." "The Armenian government prides itself on having a democratic image," said Cartner. "Beating peaceful demonstrators is inconsistent with that image and violates its obligations under human rights law." In a second statement, Cartner said, "The Armenian government should swiftly investigate whether the police and army used lethal force against protesters in accordance with international standards. While the government has a duty to maintain civic order, lethal force may only be used when strictly necessary to protect life."

On March 3, the Committee to Protect Journalists said that Armenian authorities "should immediately lift restrictions on independent news reporting and the censorship of independent news Web sites." "We’re alarmed by this blatant attempt to censor news of the disputed election," CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon said. "We call on Armenian authorities to withdraw the ban on independent news gathering and dissemination, and restore access to independent and opposition media."

On March 5, the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), which oversees all non-military U.S. international broadcasting, said it "strongly objects to the blackout of independent media in Armenia." "Censorship and harassment of the media are the antithesis of democracy," said James K. Glassman, Chairman of the BBG.

On March 7, Kurt Volker, the US acting assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian Affairs, said in an interview with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty: "We don't believe that further crackdown, further arrests, are the right way to go.” He went on to urge the immediate lifting of the state of emergency imposed by Kocharian on March 1.

Before his March 13 trip to Armenia, Thomas Hammarberg, the Council of Europe’s visiting commissioner for human rights, said "I am concerned about the human rights situation in Armenia and the consequences of the declaration of the state of emergency... It is urgent to restore a situation where the activities of the media, political parties and non-governmental organisations are not hindered."

On March 12, the European Union reiterated its calls for the Armenian authorities to lift the state of emergency in Yerevan, release all political prisoners and agree to an "independent investigation" into the country’s deadly post-election unrest. The government of Slovenia, holder of the EU’s rotating presidency, also said on behalf of the block, "The Presidency calls again upon the Armenian authorities to release citizens detained in connection with their political activities and to refrain from further arrests of opposition leaders."

On March 14, Thomas Hammarberg, the Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights, called for an independent investigation into Armenia’s deadly post-election unrest and said opposition supporters arrested by the authorities in recent weeks have been ill-treated in custody. "There have been cases where there were problems... Some of those arrested have been beaten, which of course is not acceptable" he said after his meetings in Armenian prisons of the political prisoners. Hammarberg "appeared to have serious misgivings about the official version of events." "I really think that there is a need for a professional, independent and impartial inquiry into what happened," he said, adding that it should be conducted by special commission made up of individuals "trusted by the public." Hammarberg also told Kocharian and Sarkisian that the recent day’s easing of civil liberty restrictions stemming from the state of emergency in Yerevan is "not sufficient" and specifically urged them to abolish "censorship" of the Armenian media.

On March 18, after a 3-day visit to Armenia, Thomas Hammarberg called on the Armenian government to lift emergency measures, ensure media freedom and initiate an impartial investigation into recent violent acts. "The State of Emergency should be lifted in Armenia and an independent, impartial and transparent inquiry initiated to clarify what actually happened during the confrontations in Yerevan between the police and opposition demonstrators on 1 March," he said.

On March 20, the Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights released a report summarizing his findings during his March 12–15 trip to Armenia. The report is critical of the government's abuse of force, stating, "It seems clear that excessive use of force was used by police and the security forces." According to the report the two sides—government authorities and opposition protesters—describe the events of March 1 "very differently." Since it is important in a human rights perspective to establish the basic facts, the report calls for a "comprehensive inquiry" that is "independent, impartial and transparent and perceived as credible by the whole population." Also, it criticized the behavior of riot police, stating, "A review seems necessary of the current riot control measures used by the police as serious mistakes were made."