Human Rights Watch criticizes Georgian and Armenian authorities

The Human Rights Watch organization has published its annual report on violations of human rights around the world.

In its report the organization stated that "the Georgian government uses the Code of Administrative Offenses to lock up protestors and activists at times of political tension. The code allows for a person to be imprisoned for up to 90 days for certain minor offenses, but lacks due process and a fair trial required by international law. The government used excessive force to disperse anti-government protests in Tbilisi, the capital, in May, and prosecuted dozens of demonstrators in these administrative trials, failing to fully respect their due process rights. The authorities also failed to effectively investigate past instances of excessive use of force. Other concerns include restrictions on the media and on freedom of association, as well as forced evictions of internally displaced persons."

This is what the organization has published on its official website (http://www.hrw.org/) about Armenia: "More than three years after street clashes between police and opposition protesters turned deadly, meaningful accountability for the excessive use of force by law enforcement remains remote.  Armenia decriminalized libel in May 2010, but amendments to the civil code introduced high monetary fines for libel and led to an increase in lawsuits against newspapers, particularly by public officials. In some cases the excessive damages awarded by courts threaten the survival of newspapers.  Authorities continue to restrict freedom of assembly. Torture and ill-treatment in police custody persist, and the government has failed to effectively investigate a troubling number of deaths in custody, as well as non-combat deaths in the military."