HRW Releases Report on March 1 Events in Yerevan

YEREVAN (A.W.)—On Feb. 25, 2009, Human Rights Watch (HRW) released a 64-page report detailing the clashes between police and protesters in Armenia’s capital, Yerevan, on March 1, 2008, in the wake of the February 2008 presidential polls. It also documents the ill-treatment of individuals detained in connection with the violence, and lack of comprehensive investigation and accountability for excessive use of force on March 1 and in its aftermath. According to HRW, the report is based on more than 80 interviews carried out over three research missions in Armenia in 2008 and 2009.

The report, titled “Democracy on Rocky Ground: Armenia’s Disputed 2008 Presidential Election, Post-Election Violence, and the One-Sided Pursuit of Accountability,” is available online at http://www.hrw.org/en/reports/2009/02/25/democracy-rocky-ground.