Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly-Vanadzor

On 5 April 2024, human rights defender Anton Shcherbak applied to HCA Vanadzor. He has been protecting human rights, in particular, rights of the military and conscripts in Russia for many years, and cooperating with the organization “School of conscripts” (official webpage  https://netprizyvu.ru/). A. Shcherbak reported that recently the website of “School of conscripts” was blocked in Russia and then in Armenia. 

By blocking the website in Armenia, the RA violated Article 10 (the right to freedom of expression) of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, which specifies that “Everyone has the right to freedom of expression. This right shall include freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart information and ideas without interference by public authority and regardless of frontiers (...)”. 

HCA Vanadzor applied to the RA Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, demanding to provide information on reasons and legal grounds for blocking the webpage. At the same time, HCA Vanadzor demanded to eliminate blocking of the website in the RA and ensure its uninterrupted operation. 

HCA Vanadzor records that it is not lawful for the Republic of Armenia to identically apply the limitation imposed on the webpage operation in the Russian Federation.