“The reason why we have chosen Yerevan for our conference is that we are following the processes here. And if we are following it means that not everything is OK here. Here there is stuff to do. The justice system in Armenia doesn’t conform to international standards. Here there are issues connected with human rights,” said the honorable chair of the International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH) Patrick Borduen at the wrap-up of the first day of the FIDH conference in Yerevan. And yesterday the President of this organization Souhayr Belhassen visited the imprisoned political prisoners of Armenia, met with Presient Serzh Sargsyan and spoke about them. Let us remember that on Tuesday Belhassen participated in the ANC rally and made a speech there. And yesterday he said that he had participated in the opposition event because the release of the political prisoners was the key theme of the rally. Belhassen also called for a thorough and objective investigation into disproportionate use of force against thousands of opposition protesters in Yerevan in March 2008. “We will continue to press our questions until receiving answers,” she said. Belhassen sought to dispel such fears as she met with the parents and other close relatives of Ter-Petrosyan supporters killed in vicious clashes with security forces in central Yerevan on March 1-2, 2008. “One should not see us only shaking the hand of the president of the republic,” she said. “We have come to also tell how justice should be administered in this country.” The FIDH will raise the matter “at the highest level” and will stand by the victims’ relatives “until the end” in their quest for the punishment of officials responsible for those deaths, continued Belhassen. “This congress will be held here for you as well, so that the whole world hears about the fate that awaited your children” she said. “I ask you to remain mobilized and hope that the truth will be known one day and the criminals will be punished one day.” “We are not a political party but a human rights watchdog. Therefore our main goal of participating in this rally was to release these political prisoners. We found it expedient to address the people and not the local authorities or political parties. We wished to express our support to the participants of the rally,” Belhassen told the Radio Liberty. And yesterday during the FIDH conference in Erebuni Plaza in front of the eyes of the conference attendees the hotel’s security guard focused on a poster "Freedom to 14 Political Prisoners" stuck on the wall by the adherents of the Armenian National Congress (HAK) Izabella Sargsyan and Lala Aslikyan. The security guard tried to "get rid of" the unwanted poster by force. A group of ANC children who wanted to give flowers to FIDH female representatives on the occasion of Women’s Day were denied access to the hotel. The children were able to enter the building after the intervention of FIDH representatives. Asked what factors their ill-treatment was determined by the employees advised asking the hotel owner. “You are not allowed to go in with Sasoun Michaelyan’s photo,” told the young men the security guards of the hotel. And only after the mediation of the FIDH Armenian office representatives the young people were able to give away flowers to the women. The hotel security also advised the journalists to find out from the owner of the hotel why they have treated the opposition young people in that manner. The Armenian government didn’t restrainer their order-takers from trampling the human rights on the days of the human rights conference. Let us also add that the FIDH conference took place in Aram Khachatryan hall of Opera on the first day. Everything seemed normal upstairs except for the translation transmission breakup. The delegates were making speeches in different languages. And the foreign delegates would often stand on their feet and demand to fix the transmission. But this is not all. Regardless of how incorrect would be to speak about this but downstairs in the restrooms there was a real fuss. The people, who’d get down here, would appear in a chaos. First there was a woman sitting in front of the toilets, who was cutting and folding pieces of toilet paper in the length of 25-30 centimeters. She’d offer anyone, who’d enter the restroom to take a piece. The FIDH employees would really flip out then the theater staffer was offering them pieces of toilet paper… The hideous scene became even more hideous when the participants would really leave it. This “incident” is also outstanding because the Opera building was repaired with the funds of “Lins” Foundation several years ago. In this regard, it would be hard to claim that the dignity of the conference participants wasn’t insulted. The Armenian organizers have received money to properly organize their event. Moreover, they have paid money for renting the Opera hall. An employee of the Civil Society Institute Levon Babamyan, who was the organizer of the event, agreed with these remarks but said that they had gotten decent discounts. That’s why they cannot demand more. And by justifying he said that the delegates were admired by the Opera building and stunned by the reception held in Marriott Hotel.
