ARMENIAN OMBUDSMAN REPORTS HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS

C O N F I D E N T I A L YEREVAN 001264

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/CACEN, DRL

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/15/2015
TAGS: PREL PHUM PGOV AM
SUBJECT: ARMENIAN OMBUDSMAN REPORTS HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS

REF: A) YEREVAN 1036 B) YEREVAN 1083

Classified By: Amb. John M. Evans for reasons 1.4 (b,d).

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SUMMARY
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1. (SBU) On July 7, Armenian Ombudsman Larisa Alaverdyan
unveiled the GOAM's first Human Rights website and released a
statistical report on human rights complaints against the
GOAM. The event coincided with fresh allegations that the
Armenian National Security Service (NSS) continues to harass
Alaverdyan as well as human rights attorneys and their
clients (reftels). She discussed these issues with the
Ambassador in a recent meeting. End Summary.

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OMBUDSMAN LAUNCHES GOAM HUMAN RIGHTS WEBSITE
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2. (U) Armenian Ombudsman Larisa Alaverdyan unveiled her
office's human rights website (www.ombuds.am) at a
highly-publicized event on July 7. The website includes
information in Armenian-, Russian- and English-language about
the services and activities of the Ombudsman's office. The
site also provides an electronic form for submitting human
rights complaints.


3. (C) According to Alaverdyan, the new website will improve
access for rural residents to the Ombudsman's services.
Though we agree the website will likely facilitate an
increase in official complaints, Alaverdyan's assertion that
rural residents will significantly benefit ignores the fact
that the average rural Armenian family can neither afford a
computer nor has training to use one.

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BREAKDOWN OF HUMAN RIGHTS COMPLAINTS AGAINST THE GOAM
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4. (C) Alaverdyan told us her office received about 850
written complaints from January through June 2005. The
majority of complaints involved police (110),the Ministry of
Labor and Social Affairs (103),courts (95),the Yerevan
Municipality (73),other local municipalities (65),the
Prosecutor General's office (55),the Ministry of Justice
(46),the Ministry of Defense (44),regional governments
(36),and the Department of Migration and Refugees (22).
Alaverdyan renewed her public calls for GOAM officials to
fund her office at a level appropriate for handling the
"hundreds of human rights complaints" she receives annually.
Though Alaverdyan says she reviews each case personally, she
claims staffing and budgetary constraints limit her ability
to respond. Alaverdyan told us privately she believes the
government limited her budget as part of a larger "campaign"
to intentionally weaken her effectiveness.

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NATIONAL SECURITY SERVICE STILL ASKING QUESTIONS
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5. (C) In May, the Armenian National Security Service (NSS)
arrested an assistant to Ombudsman Larisa Alaverdyan (ref A)
on charges of fraud and corruption. Following the arrest,
the NSS raided Alaverdyan's office and confiscated the
assistant's computer (ref B). Alaverdyan claimed that,
despite personal assurances from the NSS director to the
contrary, the NSS is exploiting information gained from the
computer to quiet criticism of the Administration's "awful"
human rights record.

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COMMENT: OMBUDSMAN STILL UNDER FIRE
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6. (C) Alaverdyan continues to search for opportunities to
expand the scope of her duties as Armenia's official human
rights defender. The UNDP-funded website will likely attract
more publicity for the Ombudsman and more human rights
complaints against the GOAM, but Alaverdyan's ability to
resolve these complaints and to prevent future human rights
violations remains in question. Her public condemnation of
the Administration's record on human rights continues, as
does her allegations that the NSS is methodically exploiting
her confidential computer files to silence the
Administration's critics.
EVANS