The attention of the international community to the situation and internal political events of Armenia gradually grows. Yesterday simultaneously two important documents about Armenia were issued. The first one is of the Amnesty International. In its annual report the organization alluded to the March 1 events of 2008, and claims that sufficient steps were not taken. The Amnesty report says that no independent investigation has been conducted yet into the March 2008 use of deadly force against opposition protesters in Yerevan. It notes the fact that nobody has been brought to justice in connection with the deaths of eight protesters and two police personnel in those clashes. Violence against Armenian women and girls is another major highlight of the report. The rights watchdog said that despite setting up an interagency body tasked with combating the practice, the Armenian government made no progress in 2010 on “enacting legislation specifically addressing violence against women and the setting up of shelters.” Yesterday later in the evening the European Union has described as “positive political developments” the Armenian government’s recent concessions to the opposition and called for the release of all opposition members remaining in prison. “We call on the Armenian authorities to release all the activists that remain in detention soon,” it said. “The EU believes that a thorough investigation of the violent events of March 2008 and the release of all those in custody in relation to those events will help Armenia to truly move on,” reads the EU report. By the way, in the past Amnesty International released such strict reports. It was the first time this strict by the EU.
