Little Armenia

Buying a car locally is an option. Currently, a new Lada Niva (a tough little Russian-made 4X4) can be had for around $7000. Small Russian-made sedans, like Ladas and Zhigulis, run a little less. Used BMWs and Mercedes are also affordable.  In general, used car prices are extremely variable. Buyers will undoubtedly need the help of a local person to shop Yerevan’s weekend auto market where new and used models are sold. It is also possible to import a car from Dubai or Russia duty-free. ... [Read More]

Azerbaijan (10/04)

Little is known about Azerbaijan's history until its conquest and conversion to Islam by the Arabs in 642 AD. Centuries of prosperity as a province of the Muslim caliphate followed. After the decline of the Arab Empire, Azerbaijan was ravaged during the Mongol invasions but regained prosperity in the 13th-15th centuries under the Mongol II-Khans, the native Shirvan Shahs, and under Persia's Safavid Dynasty. ... [Read More]

Armenia

The Constitution provides employees with the right to form and join trade unions and the right to strike. The Constitution stipulates that the right to form associations--including political parties and trade unions--may be limited with respect to persons serving in the armed services and law enforcement agencies. A 1993 Presidential decree prohibits the Government and other employers from retaliating against strikers and labor leaders, but workers have little confidence in this protection. In practice labor organization remains weak due to high unemployment and the weak economy. Workers have neither the financial resources to maintain a strike nor enforceable legal protection against retaliation, and existing unions play a relatively passive role. However, there were no reports of retaliation against strikers or labor leaders. The purportedly Independent Labor Federation created in December 1997 took no action during the year. ... [Read More]

Armenia

Armenia is a constitutional parliamentary democracy; however, the directly elected President has extensive powers of decree and appointment, including of the Prime Minister, that are not balanced by the legislature or an independent judiciary. Robert Kocharian was re-elected President in March. There were flaws and substantial irregularities in both the February and March rounds of the presidential elections and in the May parliamentary elections. A constitutional referendum on executive powers failed in a national vote in May. The Constitution provides for an independent judiciary; however, in practice, judges were subject to pressure from the executive and executive branches, and corruption was a problem.The National Police and the National Security Service are responsible for domestic security, intelligence activities, border controls, and the police force. The civilian authorities maint ... [Read More]

Armenia

All trials are public except when government secrets are at issue. Defendants are required to attend their trials unless they have been accused of a minor crime not punishable by imprisonment. Defendants have access to a lawyer of their own choosing. The court appoints an attorney for any indigent defendants who need one. However, during 2001, the Helsinki Association conducted a survey of the courts together with the International Helsinki Federation, the International Union of Armenian Lawyers and the Moscow Helsinki Group. According to their joint report, 38 percent of 50 respondents stated that they were not provided with defense attorneys during the preliminary investigation. Reportedly individuals often choose to defend themselves in court because they had little respect for a defense attorney's professional skills and ethics. ... [Read More]

Armenia

During the year, the National Assembly amended the 1999 refugee law, which provides for the granting of refugee or asylee status in accordance with the 1951 U.N. Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol. The Government cooperates with the UNHCR and other humanitarian organizations in assisting ethnic Armenian refugees. The Government respects the right of first asylum. Since 1999 there has been an established procedure for the formal recognition of asylum. However, there are few cases of applications for asylum or refugee status, since most persons use the country as a transit country. Since 1999 six persons from different countries have been granted refugee status. Border officials have little training on asylum issues. In some cases, rejected asylum seekers denied permission for legal residence were subjected to fines for illegal residence when they attempted to depart the country. ... [Read More]

V. Country Narratives -- Countries A through G

Bolivia is a source and transit country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and sexual exploitation to neighboring South American countries, through Spain to Western Europe, and to Japan and the United States. Children are trafficked internally for sexual exploitation, and forced mining and agricultural labor. Poverty forces thousands of Bolivians to migrate or work in sub-standard conditions, thus placing large numbers at risk of being trafficked. Thousands of children travel from poor rural to urban areas and fall victim to trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Bolivian workers have been trafficked to sweatshops in Argentina and Brazil, and to Chile for involuntary servitude. Illegal migrants from countries outside the region transit Bolivia; some may be trafficking victims. Unregulated land borders facilitate land-based trafficking between Bolivia and ... [Read More]

Armenia (04/05)

Terrain: High plateau with mountains, little forest land. ... [Read More]

Country Report on Human Rights Practices in Armenia

Senior officials within President Kocharian's office continued to significantly influence state television news coverage by providing policy guidance to Public TV of Armenia. While the news reporting on Public TV was mostly factual, it avoided editorial commentary or criticism of the Government. For example, it provided little coverage of the April 12 and 13 political demonstrations in the capital (see Sections 1.d., 2.b. and 3). ...

There was an established procedure to recognize asylum, but border officials had little training on asylum issues, which, at times, caused delays at airports and land borders. ... [Read More]