Armenia

On 26/08/2020 the UN Human Rights Committee adopted “Lists of Issues” in advance of the examination of Armenia. Armenia was asked inter alia to “report on the measures taken to provide genuine alternative service for conscientious objectors”. [1]

In November 2020, Armenian police issued anti-war activist Georgi Vanyan with a fine for his anti-war post on Facebook calling for dialogue with Azerbaijan. [2] Police visited Vanyan on 07/11/2020 to inform him that he received a fine of ֏300,000–֏700,000 ($620–$1,500). Vanyan was also told that if he refused to take down the post the fine would increase to ֏1 million ($2,100). Vanyan refused to pay the amount until he received a written report explaining the reason for his fine.

In his “offending” Facebook post on 06/11/2020, Vanyan said Armenia ‘had long crossed the threshold of crimes against its own citizens’. He wrote:

“Stop this criminal farce that speaks of victory: one does not have victory over a neighbour, one does not trample a neighbour, one does not destroy a neighbour. One talks with a neighbour and keeps talking until they find the ability to speak the same language, until reaching mutual understanding. The inertia of neighbours to destroy each other is the path to self- destruction. Forget, give up the criminal deception about a saving power, of a “strategic ally”. In the face of this unrelenting slaughter, forget, put aside the ridiculous search for allies, the shameful hope of alms from the international community in the form of an admission that you are being subjected to genocide”.

According to Vanyan, he was pursued by the authorities because of the state of martial law, which forbids the public to criticise the actions, or the effectiveness of the actions, of the authorities.

In his post on 07/11/2020, Vanyan wrote that he had been receiving death threats and that his dog was shot by someone several months ago. He criticised the inaction of the Armenian authorities in response to his reports of harassment to the police - including when a group of men broke into his house calling him to leave the country.

In October 2020, having previously launched a project entitled "Caucasus Talks" in May, a group of young people from Azerbaijan and Armenia in the South Caucasus co-signed and published the Peace Statement, making a call for peace amid escalating conflicts between neighboring countries Armenia and Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Hundreds of people from Armenia, Azerbaijan, and throughout the world have signed the Peace Statement so far (see also the Foreword by EBCO President). [3]