The U.S. State Department has published a report on the human rights situation in Armenia, in which it also addresses in detail the atrocities committed by Azerbaijani soldiers during the September attack against Armenia.
The report mentions reports that during the September conflict, Azerbaijani forces carried out unlawful killings and subjected Armenian servicemen to cruel and inhuman treatment.
It is noted that the International Committee of the Red Cross has examined the cases of persons who went missing as a result of the conflict with Azerbaijan. It is noted that after the war in the autumn of 2020, 203 people (including 20 civilians) are considered missing, while as a result of the September 13-14 conflict, 3 servicemen are considered missing.
The U.S. State Department also addresses the unlawful execution of 7 Armenian soldiers by Azerbaijani troops, which, according to the Human Rights Watch organization and investigative journalists of Bellingcat, was filmed in mid-September 2022.
The report also mentions cases of inhuman treatment of the bodies of Armenian female soldiers during the September conflict, strikes by Azerbaijani forces on civilian infrastructure, and the targeting of ambulances.
Courts in Armenia are not independent; evidence of this includes phenomena of corruption and political influence, cases of resistance to the implementation of reforms, and the recent high-profile scandals.
The report states that there is unconfirmed information about attempts by the government to influence judges.
According to the report, there is no reliable information about the existence of political prisoners or detainees in Armenia.
The government generally respects the right to freedom of speech, although there are certain restrictions. The report notes that the authorities did not include “serious bodily harm” in the Criminal Code that came into force on July 1, and this has given the possibility of decriminalizing that article.
