Ombudsman urges to avert violations
In a letter addressed to the Chairman of the Central Electoral Commission (CEC) Garegin Azaryan, Human Rights Defender Armen Harutyunyan urges to take measures to avert the violation of rights of civilians Sedrak Baghdasaryan and Vachagan Hakobyan during the upcoming election to the municipal council.
Baghdasaryan and Vachagan Hakobyan have been nominated by the Heritage Party and run for the city council. The CEC has refused their registration grounding its decision by the fact that neither of them has resided in Yerevan over the last three years.
Sedrak Baghdasaryan and Vachagan Hakobyan have informed the Ombudsman that "their flats were aliened for the state needs." Following a government decision, they were forced off their flats and have had no abode ever since.
In his letter Ombudsman Armen Harutyunyan reminds the CEC that under an April 18, 2006, decision the Constitutional Court found the government decision contradicting the corresponding laws, hence anti-constitutional.
Note that Sedrak Baghdasaryan heads the "Victims of State Needs" NGO and Vachagan Hakobyan -"Protection of the Right to Property" NGO.
