YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 26, NOYAN TAPAN. The problems related to legalization of unauthorized buildings and compensation in Yerevan's urban development zones have a tendency to get a positive solution thanks to direct intervention of the Armenian prime minister, the ombudsman of the RA Armen Harutyunian said at the September 25 press conference. At the same time he pointed out that the solution of these problems is conditioned not by efficient operation of the system but by direct intervention of a person - the prime minister. The ombudsman stated that system reforms (in terms of human rights protection) should be implemented in Armenia. "It is time that business and power will be separated and the political and economic elites, which are separate and cooperate with each other (but are not the same), will be formed," he said. Armen Harutyunian spoke about two aspects of human rights violation related to fair trial and property confiscation. As an example of violation of the right to have a fair trial, the ombudsman mentioned the case "Misha Harutyunian versus the Republic of Armenia" examined by the European Court of Human Rights: although the European Court considered as unacceptable the following reference in the sentence passed by the Syunik regional court of first instance presided by the judge Lernik Atayan: "M. Harutyunian was subjected to torture with the aim of revealing the truth", the RA Council of Justice imposed a disciplinary penalty on the judge (he received a reprimand and paid a fine in the amount of 25% of his salary), and he continues to examine military cases. Among issues raised, Armen Harutyunian addressed the problems which arose in connection with the use of the RA Law on Freedom of Information. Under this law, state and local self government bodies shall provide information in order prescribed by the government, however, no such order exists, and there is no authorized state governance body, to which citizens may apply to dispute the refusal to provide information.

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