Threats of Dismissal and Coercion: Human Rights Defender on Reports from Syunik about Local Elections

The Human Rights Defender of Armenia has issued a statement regarding reports related to the local elections in the Kapan community of Syunik province.

In line with his constitutional mandate to protect electoral rights, the Human Rights Defender is monitoring the local government elections taking place in Armenia.

Both written complaints addressed to the Defender and public reports have been recorded regarding the local elections in the Kapan community of Syunik province.

Specifically, several employees of the company 'Chaarat Kapan' LLC have filed written complaints stating they are listed as candidates from the 'Shant Alliance' nationalist party for the council. According to the complaints, immediately after learning this, the company's management demanded that they either withdraw their candidacy for the council and leave the party list or submit their resignation. These citizens claim that the company management is illegally interfering with their political rights, demanding they abandon their candidacy under the threat of violating their employment rights.

According to the reported complaints, some public authority bodies and officials are exerting pressure on the mentioned LLC to ensure favorable conditions for their nominated candidate. Given that these specific complaints pertain to a private organization, the Human Rights Defender has forwarded them to the State Health and Labor Inspection body for consideration and to request information on the outcomes.

According to one report, a demand to withdraw from the list of candidates of the 'Shant Alliance' nationalist party or to resign has been made to an employee of the Kapan Accounting Office.

Data from the complaint indicate that this employee will be dismissed in accordance with their application. The Human Rights Defender's office has registered a citizen's report circulating on social networks and in several media outlets stating that supporters of the current mayor of Kapan, who is also the candidate for the 'Shant Alliance', came to their home and urged them to vote for the current mayor. The citizen demanded the current mayor refrain from exerting pressure on them through a social media post.

In connection with these reports, a letter will be sent to the criminal prosecution bodies. The Defender's office has received a report that properties belonging to the 'Syunik Regional State College' have been confiscated during a search a few days ago as part of a criminal case, including computers and documents.

The report claims this was done to achieve the removal of the college director, who is the mother of the deputy mayor of Kapan, and the deputy mayor is on the list of candidates of the 'Shant Alliance' nationalist party.

According to another report, targeted inspections by tax authorities are being carried out in several shops owned by supporters of the current mayor of Kapan immediately following the initiation of the electoral process, including a case where a fine was imposed for not providing a cash register receipt.

The Human Rights Defender emphasizes that any form of legal violation is unacceptable, including the mandatory issuance of cash register receipts by business entities. However, it is particularly highlighted that the complaints published by the Human Rights Defender are related to the actions of tax authorities specifically in connection with the electoral process. Clarifications will be requested from the State Revenue Committee regarding this issue.

Many reports indicate that various supporters of the 'Civil Contract' party are monitoring the social media pages of citizens posting positive comments in favor of the current mayor, and any positive comment or even any approval is met with remarks demanding the deletion of those posts or the removal of likes.

The Defender's office has received numerous reports indicating that representatives of the 'Civil Contract' party are exerting pressure on several schools within the community, urging or requesting directors to guide their staff to vote for the candidates nominated by the party during the local elections.

According to the complaint, several school staff members have been threatened with dismissal. The Human Rights Defender, by making the content of these complaints public, informs that all possible cases will be sent to the competent authorities for review. The complaints will also be sent in writing to the Central Electoral Commission.

It is deemed necessary to inform that the electoral rights of citizens, including the right to vote and be elected in local self-governance elections, are guaranteed by Article 48 of Chapter 2 of the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia. Therefore, this forms an integral part of the Human Rights Defender's mandate. The Defender continues to monitor the electoral process, as it has been done in relation to any elections.