US Department of State tells about human rights violations in Russia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia

In 2008, Armenia had the most serious in recent Caucasus splash in violence in post-election period. In Azerbaijan, authorities pressed journalists. Georgia and Russia used excessive force during their war in South Ossetia. These are statements from the annual report of the 2008 US Department of State (DoS) on situation with human rights.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported earlier that the US Department of State's report, which covers the situation with human rights in 190 countries of the world, was presented on February 25 by State Secretary Hilary Clinton. The full text of the document can be found in the respective website.

"Armenia exhibits an essential regress in the area of its democracy," the report runs. "Disputable presidential election in February was followed by weeks of mainly peaceful protests. But on March 1-2, the authorities used force to disperse the protesters - clashes resulted in 10 casualties."

The report further notes that during 20 days of the state of emergency splashes in violence were registered, pressure on independent media and infringements of civil rights by the authorities of Armenia.

"In the course of the year, authorities imposed restrictions on the right of peaceful assemblies and free expression of political views," says the DoS' document.

It is reported that by the end of year, 59 oppositionists are still in custody; however no checks were made in relation to officials who could be involved in offences connected with the election.

In Azerbaijan, as the authors of the report write, the presidential election in October, won for the second time by Ilham Aliev, failed to meet, as international observers assert, the international standards of democracy, despite certain improvements in organization of the electoral process.

"Problems stemmed from restrictions of political freedoms and media, pressure on observers and violations at vote tabulation," runs the document.

Besides, the situation with the freedom of speech in Azerbaijan has worsened.

"The NGOs engaged in media monitoring reported, in the first half of 2008, about 22 un-investigated facts of verbal or physical attacks on journalists against 11 in the same period of 2007," the annual report of the DoS runs.

Some journalists are in custody on the charges believed by many to be politically motivated. Also, it was announced on December 30 that starting January 1, 2009, radio station Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Voice of America and TV Company BBC would not be allowed to broadcast in the Azerbaijani radio environment, which cannot be treated other than an information blockade, as the DoS assures.

In Georgia, in the DoS' opinion, President Mikhail Saakashvili was re-elected, basically, under European standards. However, certain violations were registered: discrepancies at vote tabulation, facts of intimidation and pressure on the participants of the electoral process.

During the Georgian parliamentary elections in May politically motivated detentions, restrictions on media activities were also observed, as the DoS asserts.

A special place in the report is given to the August conflict in South Ossetia. "In the course of the warfare," asserts the report, "Georgia and Russia indiscriminately used force that resulted in casualties among civilians, including a number of journalists."

Russia continued "to follow a negative curve" in observance of human rights, the report of the US Department of State affirms.

The document says that in Northern Caucasus law enforcement bodies often enjoyed impunity for committed murders and torture. It is reported that in Chechnya, Ingushetia and Dagestan power agencies commit extrajudicial executions and politically motivated kidnappings.

"For the second year already an essential increase of the count of murders is observed, accomplished by often unidentified persons in relation to civilians and representatives of the authorities of Ingushetia," runs the report of the US Department of State.

The Department also draws attention to violations of the freedom of speech in the Russian Federation, pressure on independent media, unopened murders of journalists and oppression of human rights NGOs in Russia.