U. S. Dept. of State Releases 2007 Country Reports on Human Rights

The United Sates Department of State has released its 2007 country reports regarding human rights.

According to its Armenia Report:

The government's human rights record remained poor, and serious problems remained. Citizens were not able to freely change their government; authorities beat pretrial detainees; the National Security Service (NSS) and the national police force acted with impunity; authorities engaged in arbitrary arrest and detention; prison conditions were cramped and unhealthy, although slowly improving; authorities imposed restrictions on citizens' privacy, freedom of press, and freedom of assembly. Journalists continued to practice self-censorship, and the government and laws restricted religious freedom. Violence against women and spousal abuse remained problems, as well as trafficking in persons, discrimination against persons with disabilities, and societal harassment of homosexuals. There were reports of forced labor.

Pokr Mher: Let us remember that the report does not cover the February 2008 presidential elections in Armenia nor the events that followed.