"Freedom House": democracy in Armenia is regressing

In the 2009 report "Freedom in the World" of the international human rights organization "Freedom House", published on January 12, Armenia is named a partially free country. The "Freedom House" notes that Armenia exhibits regress in the area of democratic freedoms.

Armenia's rating on the item of political freedoms went down by one point: from six to five. The assessment of civil freedoms has not changed and remained at the same level - four points.

The report section dedicated to Armenia runs that year 2008 was, from the viewpoint of political and civil freedoms, the most critical for the whole period of country's independence. According to the report, the major event was the presidential election on February 19, 2008, and the events that followed.

Christopher Water, Director of the Research Department of the "Freedom House", has stated in his interview to the Armenian service of Radio Liberty that the crisis in Armenia was caused by the post-election events, in which 10 persons perished and 250 more wounded.

"The main power players drove all other political forces off the orbit," he said.

The report states that the voting day, when Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisyan was the winner, was accompanied by facts of violence and lawlessness. On March 1, the state of emergency was announced, which entailed a restriction on a number of fundamental freedoms, including the freedom of assembly.

The "Freedom House" marks that the international community has condemned the disproportionate application of force on March 1. The cases of violence admitted by law enforcers against journalists are especially emphasized.

The 2008 report of the "Freedom House" also noted that the general indicator of democracy development in Armenia was on the fall.