SUMMARY OF CASES TRANSMITTED AND REPLIES RECEIVED Armenia Communication sent on 9 June 2005

CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS, INCLUDING THE QUESTION OF RELIGIOUS INTOLERANCE

Addendum
Summary of cases transmitted to Governments and replies received

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Armenia
Communication sent on 9 June 2005

3. The Special Rapporteur had received information according to which, on 21 June 2004, Jehovah's Witness conscientious objector Mr. Armen Grigoryan, who refused military service after being called up, was summoned to the military recruitment office in Yerevan. Within 24 hours, he was taken out of Armenia against his will and transferred to a military unit across the border in Nagorno-Karabakh. He was beaten at a base in Martuni region of eastern Karabakh upon his refusal to swear the military oath and to sing the national anthem. He was later stripped and forced to stand in his underwear in front of about 1,800 soldiers and to tell them why he refused to do military service. He escaped from his unit and fled back to Armenia in August 2004. On 28 April 2005, he decided to give himself in and went with his lawyer to the police station in Yerevan. He was immediately arrested and taken to Stepanakert in Nagorno-Karabakh, where he was held in solitary confinement in an investigation cell at the time of the communication.

4. The Special Rapporteur was further informed that nineteen Jehovah's Witnesses were still in prison for refusing military service on grounds of conscience.

5. In addition, of the 24 young men who opted for the alternative labour service in 2004, 22 were Jehovah's Witnesses who believed assurances by officials that the service was of civil character. Many expressed concern about the terms of the service.
For instance, Mr. Vahe Grigoryan, Mr. Garazat Azatyan, Mr. Hayk Khachatryan and Mr. Garik Melkonyan, who were assigned to the Vardenis psychiatric hospital, had to wear military-style uniforms, carry identity cards marked "Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia", and were treated as soldiers. They were regularly visited by the military police and were given degrading work. Some have abandoned this alternative service and are therefore at risk of prosecution. On 6 May 2005, Mr. Narek Alaverdyan and Mr. Arsen Sevoyan were immediately arrested by the military police after they refused to continue their alternative service.

Response from Government dated 6 September 2005

6. The Government informed the Special Rapporteur that the issues related to and terms of the alternative service in Armenia are regulated by the Law “on Alternative Service”, which entered into force on 1 July 2004.
Article 3 of the Law provides that an alternative service is allowed for t hose citizens whose religion or religious belief is incompatible with performing regular military services in military units as well as holding or use of weapons.
According to the above-mentioned Law, there are two types of alternative services:
1. Alternative military service (although not taking place in military training premises and without requirement to hold and use weapons and military equipment;
2. Alternative labor service (outside military forces).

Article 4 of the Law stipulates that a citizen is sent to serve the alternative military service if he applies to the military recruitment office of his district no later than 1 March or 1 September before the next regular call-up—and if the district military office takes the correspondent decision to this end. Article 8 of the Law stipulates that the district military recruitment commission discusses the application for an alternative service in its separate session. The applicant has to be informed about the date and time of the session before the session takes place. The recruitment commission takes a separate decision on each application.

Additional response dated 26 September 2005

7. The Government informed that the information about the 22 Jehovah’s Witnesses was false. The se Jehovah’s Witnesses engaged in alternative service voluntarily, having first been familiarized with the Law and its individual provisions.
The men have never worn military uniforms and the dress which persons who perform alternative service are required to wear is quite different from military uniform. On receipt of their clothing, the men wore it for four months and did not express any objection. They have never been treated as military personnel. They performed their service in civilian establishments, medical institutions and residential homes.

8. After parents of the Jehovah’s witnesses submitted a complaint to the Government expressing their dissatisfaction with the place and nature of the alternative service on 14 March 2005, several Government officials visited Sevan psychiatric hospital, Vardenis residential home and Gyumri psychiatric health center where the Jehovah’s witnesses undertook their alternative service. In all institutions the Government officials found that the alternative service the Jehovah’s witnesses were required to do was not arduous or degrading or in conflict with the labour organization and that their treatment was normal and humane. In the first months of their service the Jehovah’s Witnesses had performed their services as was required and held good relations with the general staff. Their living conditions were normal, their accommodation comfortable and their food requirements were met.

9. Towards the end of March and the beginning of April the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ attitude suddenly changed and they abandoned their service. Because the Government officials could not find a due cause for them to leave, the Jehovah’s Witnesses must bear responsibility for the abandonment of service under the existing Alternative Service Act.

Observations

10. The Special Rapporteur is grateful for the Government’s response. She would like to draw the Government’s attention to Paragraph 5 of Resolution 1998/77 of the Commission on Human Rights, which emphasizes that States should take the necessary measures to refrain from subjecting conscientious objectors to imprisonment.

11. Moreover, she notes that the Human Rights Committee has encouraged States to ensure that the length of alternative service does not have a punitive character, in comparison to the duration of regular military service. (See inter alia CCPR/CO/83/GRC, paragraph 15). Noting Armenia’s commitment regarding alternative service further to its accession to the Council of Europe, she encourages the Government to initiate a review the law from the perspective of its compliance with international standards and best practices.

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Source: http://daccess-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/G06/121/25/PDF/G0612125.pdf?…