Human Rights in Armenia: For Appearance’s Sake Only?

ArmeniaNow comments on the existence of a video which clearly shows that security forces fired directly ahead of them while advancing rather than in the air as the authorities claim. The video raises some urgent questions about democracy and human rights in Armenia, the blog concludes.

Of course, in the first place, no-one in his right mind believed the assertions by the Public Prosecutor’s office that the security forces had not used any firearms on the 1st of March. But neither did any of us believe, or want to believe, that these firearms were used with intent to kill. Without jumping to conclusions, this video makes a world of difference. It adds urgency to the courageous calls by, among others, the Human Rights Ombudsman for an independent and public inquiry into what happened on that fateful night. It also puts in sharp perspective the arrogance displayed by Robert Kocharian in his remarks ‘reminding’ the ombudsman that he works for the Armenian state, and ‘not Strasbourg’.

In related news, Unzipped posts a news item on the latest U.S. State Department report on Human Rights in Armenia.