To achieve judicial independence and established democracy, to create a reliable system of human rights protection.
Independent judiciary is the most important precondition for a democratic society and democratic state. The court is often the last instance for the r…
The proper protection of human rights and freedoms is a prerequisite for a decent life. Throughout our work, we reveal various systemic problems that …
Free and fair elections are the cornerstone of a sovereign democratic state. It is a well-known fact that elections have been falsified for many years…

Press Conference titled "Human rights behind Bars: Inhuman Conditions in Nubarashen Penitentiary" held at the Media Centre

Davit Gyurjyan, a legal expert from the Law Development and Protection Foundation, participated in the press conference on the issues of penitentiaries held at the Media Centre. Apart from Gyurjyan, the press conference featured the following speakers: Nina Karapetyants, president of the "Helsinky Association" NGO, and Ani Chatinyan, an attorney at the NGO Helsinki Citizens' Assembly-Vanadzor. The press conference was arranged on the occasion of urgent problems in the Nubarashen penitentiary, reported by some detainees. According to Gyurjyan, the vast majority of the problems are systemic.

The conference on the topic “Secret Surveillance Measures: International Good Practice and Standards Set by the ECHR, Issues of Armenian Legislation” was held

On 19 December the Law Development and Protection Foundation held the conference on the topic “Secret Surveillance Measures: International Good Practice and Standards Set by the ECHR, Issues of Armenian Legislation.” The aim of the conference was to sum up the findings revealed in the framework of the project titled “Analysis of the Judgments of the European Court of Human Rights finding Violation of Article 8 of the ECHR” and outline the possible solutions.

Statement Regarding Police Actions on May 27

On May 27, 2024, during the protests, the actions of the RA police aimed at maintaining public order were accompanied by the mass detention of participants, violence against some participants, and cases of unlawful use of measures. Violence was also used against a member of the RA National Assembly near the ARF party office. As previously noted, the habitual conduct of law enforcement officers remains unchanged: they continue to engage in unlawful and disproportionate use of force, illegal detentions, and violations of the right to liberty during the exercise of the right to freedom of assembly. The use of such methods by the police is the result of a longstanding policy of impunity within the system, leading to the use of violent force becoming the main tool of the police. In conditions of public and political confrontation, the only way to prevent further tensions is the strict adherence to the principles of the rule of law and equal accountability before the law for all. Actions that violate human rights and exacerbate tensions or propagate hate speech must be avoided. 

NGOs are concerned about the risk of disproportionate restrictions on the rights of trial participants

On 10 April 2024, the draft laws on Making Amendments and Supplements to the Civic Procedure Code and Administrative Procedure Code of the RA were circulated on the Unified Website for Publication of Legal Acts’ Drafts.The Law Development and Protection Foundation, in collaboration with the Protection of Rights without Borders NGO, the Democracy Development Foundation, the Transparency International Armenia, and the Helsinki Citizens' Assembly Vanadzor Office published an expert opinion on the draft law pointing out 3 major problematic regulations, analyzing them, and making recommendations.The organisations assert that they have studied these draft laws and have come to the conclusion that several amendments are problematic and concerning as they carry a high risk of disproportionately restricting the rights of trial parties.
Our mission is to contribute to the establishment of an independent judicial system, development of democratic institutions, protection of human rights through legal research, advocacy and implementation of targeted programs.
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