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Press Review


“Aravot” comments on the 15th anniversary of the creation of the post of Armenia’s human rights ombudsman. The paper believes that all four individuals who have held that post to date have done a largely job of performing their duties even if many in the country still do not correctly understand the ombudsman’s mission. It says people think that the ombudsman is someone who must “punish all evil people and stand by good ones.” They also justify violations of the rights of reputedly bad individuals, according to the paper.

“Zhamanak” says that at least two members of Armenia’s Constitutional Court have decided to accept financial incentives for early retirement offered by the government. “If that happens the former authorities will lose control over the Constitutional Court because only four of the nine Constitutional Court members would meekly obey their orders,” writes the paper.

“Haykakan Zhamanak” rejects opposition claims that the authorities are continuing to crack down on former government officials in order to deflect public attention from their failure to deliver on their promises given during the “Velvet Revolution.” The pro-government paper says the former regime is spreading such claims because it wants the authorities to “leave them alone.” “But one really gets the impression that political struggle in Armenia is unfolding between the present and the past,” it says. “Why is it the case? Because the ‘radical opposition’ which is being formed or trying to take shape is financed and directed by the former rulers.”

Citing unnamed sources, “Zhoghovurd” reports that the National Security Service (NSS) has restored only some of its classified and sensitive documents that were allegedly lost or destroyed after the revolution. The paper says that a retired NSS general, Tigran Barseghian, has been summoned to the NSS and interrogated in connection with that. It recalls that media reports had accused an NSS division formerly headed by Barseghian of active involvement in past government crackdowns on the opposition. “He was relieved of his duties in November 2011 for being aware, according to well-informed sources, of planned palace coup attempts and not informing his bosses about them,” it says. It also claims that some NSS officers have testified that they destroyed documents on orders issued by Karapet Davtian, the former deputy chief of the NSS. Davtian was sacked three weeks after Nikol Pashinian was elected prime minister.

(Tatevik Lazarian)

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