European Court Sides with Khaghaghutyan Yerkkhosutyun vs. Armenia

The European Court of Human Rights on December 4 decided that
Armenia had violated the rights of an NGO.

Khaghaghutyan Yerkkhosutyun is an Armenian non-governmental organization.

It was founded in 2009 to support the peaceful resolution of conflicts in the South Caucasus and to help victims.

 

The case concerns the authorities’ refusal to provide the applicant NGO with information concerning

non-combat deaths in the Armenian armed forces between 1994 and 2014. It had made a request for

such information in 2014 in the context of a project it was running called “Safe soldier for a safe

Armenia”.

 

The project involved an online database with information about fatalities and crimes in the

armed forces. Faced with refusals to respond to its request, the NGO brought claims in the

administrative courts, which were ultimately dismissed with the courts refusing to allow the

NGO access to the information sought on grounds of national security.

 

Relying on Article 10 (freedom of expression) of the European Convention on Human Rights, the

NGO complained about the refusal to allow it access to information on non-combat deaths,

an issue of great concern to the public.

 

The European Court of Human Rights decided that the Republic of Armenia violated Article 10

of the European Convention.

 

The Court decided that Armenia should pay the NGO 2,287 euros.