Gourgen Yeghiazaryan, Leader of the Social-Democrat Hunchakyan Party of Armenia, advises giving no ear to the annual reports of the US Department of State. He told ArmInfo's correspondent that the actions and words of that structure do not coincide.
"The experience of 2008 has demonstrated that these reports are of no significance. The Department of State defamed the incumbent authorities for the conduct of shameful elections and murder of 10 people in 2008, however, during her visit in 2012, Hillary Clinton, the former US Secretary of State, forgot her signature under the report and said that all the presidents of the region should follow the example of Serzh Sargsyan", he said. The politician added that the report contains certain messages and the Armenian authorities have understood them very well.
To note, the 2012 Report on Human Rights Practices issued by the US Department of State says that the most significant human rights problems in Armenia during the year were limitations on the right of citizens to change their government, corruption and lack of transparency in government, and the limited independence of the judiciary. "The government issued a report in December 2011 on its investigation into the deaths of eight civilians and two police officers following the 2008 presidential election but, as of year's end, had not held anyone accountable," the report says.