Conscientious objectors Armen Grigoryan, Narek Alaverdyan, Arsen Sevoyan

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Use this form to send the letter below to the relevant authority (Vartan Oskanian, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Armenia). You can add your own notes in a separate box after the standard text, if you wish. You must include a name, address, and email address; a copy will be sent to you with a cc to the WRI office (so we have a record of how many email letters have been sent out for this particular case).

Dear Mr Vartan Oskanian, Minister for Foreign Affairs

I am very concerned about the treatment of conscientious objectors Armen Grigoryan, Narek Alaverdyan, and Arsen Sevoyan by the Armenian authorities.
Armen Grigoryan was forcibly transferred to a military unit in Nagorno-Karabakh within 24 hours of his recruitment on 21 June 2004, although he asked for alternative civilian service. As he continued to refuse, he was beaten by his superiors and forced to stand in his underwear in front of 1,800 soldiers. He managed to escape, and turned himself in on 28 April, only to be brought to Nagorno-Karabakh again, where he will stand trial on 27 May, facing up to six years' imprisonment
Narek Alaverdyan and Arsen Sevoyan are both recognised as conscientious objectors, but refused to continue to serve in a substitute service which they see as a military service in disguise. They were forced to wear military style uniforms, name bages with "Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia" written on them, were regularly visited by military police and even fed by the military - all this clearly showing that their substitute service was not genuinely civilian in nature. Both were arrested on 6 May by Military Police.
Although Armenia now has passed a law on conscientious objection, and some conscientious objectors have been recognised, the treatment of Armen Grigoryan, Narek Alaverdyan, and Arsen Sevoyan is a violation of the right to conscientious objection, and in contradiction to Armenia's commitment to the Council of Europe.
I therefore urge you to grant Armen Grigoryan his right to conscientious objection, and to stop all legal proceedings against him. I also urge you to provide a genuine civilian substitute service for recognised conscientious objectors, according to standards set by the Council of Europe. I urge you to respect human rights.