Human Rights Day is celebrated annually across the world on 10 December every year.

The date was chosen to honour the United Nations General Assembly‘s adoption and proclamation, on 10 December 1948, of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the first global enunciation of human rights and one of the first major achievements of the new United Nations. The formal establishment of Human Rights Day occurred at the 317th Plenary Meeting of the General Assembly on 4 December 1950, when the General Assembly declared resolution 423(V), inviting all member states and any other interested organizations to celebrate the day as they saw fit.

The day is normally marked both by high-level political conferences and meetings and by cultural events and exhibitions dealing with human rights issues. In addition it is traditionally on 10 December that the five-yearly United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rightsand Nobel Peace Prize are awarded. Many governmental and non-governmental organizations active in the human rights field also schedule special events to commemorate the day, as do many civil and social-cause organizations.

Since 2003 the United Nations Convention Against Corruption has recognized December 9th as International Anti-Corruption day.

Corruption comes in many forms. Bribery, price fixing, embezzlement are just a few of the crimes associated with corruption.

Corruption comes in many forms and happens in both developed and undeveloped countries. It affects the social, politcal and economic development of entire nations. It’s a crime that can bring down a government or destroy a business, but it is usually the poorest who are most commonly the victim. International Anti-Corruption Day brings awareness to these issues and brings the citizens of the world together to fight this crime on a global basis.

“Veles” human rights NGO, in support with the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives, developed a series of videos on inclusive governance.

Former Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to Canada Ara Papyan on inclusive policy

“Veles” human rights NGO, in support with the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives, developed a series of animated videos on inclusive governance.

Inclusiveness is one of the fundamental elements of human rights

“Veles” human rights NGO, in support with the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives, developed a series of videos on inclusive governance.

Human rights defender Zaruhi Hovhannisyan comments on the topic of inclusiveness

“Veles” human rights NGO, in support with the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives, developed a series of videos on inclusive governance.

In the first video, we are discussing the issue of disability inclusion for people with disabilities.

The video includes footage from tert.am.

In November 17-18, 2018, in Aghveran, a two-day training was held within the framework of the project of “Awareness Raising and Advocacy for Inclusive Governance in the Republic of Armenia ”, implemented by “Veles” human rights NGO.

Over the years, the public has been informed of the illegalities of some organizations engaged in the construction of new buildings and the ex-regime representatives under the sponsorship and direct involvement of the former authorities’ regime, such as forced evictions and deprivation of property of the residents, multiple sales of the built apartments, and as a result appropriation of citizens’ funds.

Of the developers was probably only the “Elite Group” CJSC that remained in the shadow of vicious crimes and presented itself to the public as a conscientious organization. Yet, recently it has become obvious that they also did not stay out of sponsorship of the former regime and, why not, of replenishing the shadow “mash bowl” of the regime with means appropriated fraudulently.

The “Elite Group” CJSC adopted another shadow policy: no mention in most of the agreements of the real sums of the sales of flats, changing intentionally the recorded amounts, embezzling them, and avoiding tax liabilities as well.

One episode of financial machinations of the “Elite Group” CJSC:

Eduard Hovsepyan, who applied to the “Veles” human rights NGO for legal assistance in the summer of 2018, was one of the first who raised the issue and documented the mechanism of the financial machinations carried out by the management of the “Elite Group” CJSC. Thus, in 2007, Eduard’s parents arranged with  the management of the “Elite Group” CJSC on the purchase of 162 sq.m. of living space (AMD 300,000 per sq.m.) and of two parking lots (worth 2 million 900 thousand AMD) at the address of 29 Rostom Street in Yerevan. In 2007, as a preliminary agreement of property purchase, the “Elite Group” CJSC provided his parents an unauthorized sheet of paper as an agreement.

In 2007-2008, based on the factual verbal agreement with Armen Mkoyan, the president of the “Elite Group” CJSC, Eduard Hovsepyan’s parents made an advance payment of the 52 million 180 thousand AMD into the cash register of the “Elite Group” CJSC, through 15 checks, including the money for the two parking lots (2 million 900 thousand AMD).

On May 11, 2009, soon after the receipt of the full sum of 52 million AMD, previously agreed upon with Eduard Hovsepyan’s parents, a real estate purchase and sale agreement was signed between Hovsepyan’s parents and the “Elite Group” CJSC, which is evidence of the criminal acts of the “Elite Group” CJSC.

Thus, the “Elite Group” deliberately concealed in the agreement 21 million 180 thousand drams of the actually paid money, indicating in it only 31 million drams, instead of actually paid 52 million 180 thousand AMD. They also indicated 151.2 sq.m. as the size of the surface of the residential area instead of the pre-arranged 162 sq.m. By modifying the price in the agreement, the “Elite Group” CJSC appropriated deliberately, through one episode only, 21 million 180 thousand AMD put in advance in the cash register of the organization by the citizen. In addition, it deceived the state by appropriating 3 million 529 thousand AMD.

Taking into consideration the number of more than 13 blocks of flats constructed by the “Elite Group” CJSC in Yerevan and other similar deals known and yet unidentified, the embezzlement of those huge amounts of money and tax evasion committed by the “Elite Group” CJSC has become evident.

P.S. Later we will highlight other illegal actions by “Elite Group” CJSC.

Continue reading at https://acblog.am/?p=2319&lang=en | AntiCorruption

The list includes those judges, investigators, prosecutors and other law enforcement officials who participated in cases of gross violations of fundamental human rights of people (we will refer to each case individually) and who must face justice. Yet, the building of a legal state is nonsense, until the judges and “law enforcement officials”, who distorted human fates, are subjected to criminal liability.

The list is open for additions.

Dear Partners,

In November 17-18, 2018, in support with the Canadian Embassy in Armenia, “Veles” human rights NGO organizes two-day training courses on the topic of inclusive governance for journalists.

Please confirm your participation via info@veles.am.

For more details please contact “Veles” NGO.
Address: Yerevan, Charents 4/121
Phone: 010 578551, 098 615663

This magazine was prepared with the support of the Czech Embassy

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