YEREVAN (Noyan Tapan)–A Wednesday news conference at the Center for the Defense of Constitutional Rights of Armenia focused on the act of Vandalism which had been committed at the Human Rights Library in Vanadzor.
Chairman of the Helsinki Assembly of Armenia Mikael Danielian said at the news conference that on July 29 ten members of the Vanadzor "Yerkrapah" volunteer group–dressed in uniforms–under the command of Artem Khachatrian–and in the presence of the Military Police Chief Kamo Hovhanisian broke the library’s glass door and entered the building. Then they took out books and furniture–tearing apart all the maps on the walls.
The incident was reported to local–regional and central authorities as well as law enforcement agencies. However–Danielian said no steps aimed at punishing those responsible and providing compensation for the caused damage had been launched so far.
The statement issued by the aforementioned center says that the Vanadzor Human Rights Library was the first to be set up in Armenia through a non-governmental organization of the Armenian Assembly of America. The library provides material for the human rights training held annually in the Lori region.
The center says this act of violence is an attack on the ideals of democracy and human rights. The free consultative services of the joint programs offered by Center for the Defense of Constitutional Rights and the Helsinki Assembly have been disrupted by the violence.
The center applied to mass media and human rights organizations to speak for the restoration and of justice. The center deman’s that the authorities return the property of the library.