US embassy cable - 05YEREVAN19

UNCLAS YEREVAN 000019 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/CACEN, DRL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM, PGOV, AM 
SUBJECT:  ARMENIA:  INCONSISTENT CLAIMS OF RELIGIOUS 
PERSECUTION 
 
REF: 04 YEREVAN 1341 
 
Sensitive but unclassified.  Please protect accordingly. 
 
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FACTS DON'T ADD UP 
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1. (SBU) On January 6, Forum 18, a Norwegian NGO, reported 
that Armen Grigoryan, an Armenian citizen eligible for 
mandatory military service, had been refused status as a 
conscientious objector, hazed and forced to serve in Nagorno- 
Karabakh against his will.  Post is investigating the claims 
made by Forum 18, which has no representation in Armenia, 
but we cannot substantiate the claims Forum 18 made in its 
report.  A number of discrepencies significantly reduce the 
story's credibility:  the named military prosecutor who 
allegedly ordered legal proceedings against Grigoryan, 
Vladik Khachatryan, does not appear to exist.  Military 
sources confirmed that no one by that name works for the 
Armenian military prosecutor or military police.  According 
the local leadership of the Jehovah's Witnesses, Grigoryan 
is neither a member of the church nor in the process of 
joining. 
 
2. (SBU) According to Armenia's Human Rights Ombudsman 
Larissa Alaverdian who has been following this case of 
alleged abuse, Grigoryan responded to his draft notice in 
May 2004 and requested alternative civilian service.  At 
that time, however, the National Assembly had not yet 
completed implementation of the new law on alternative 
military service, nor had it yet created provisions for 
civilian service (reftel).  In August, Grigoryan refused to 
take an oath of service, and was accused of refusing the 
order of a superior officer.  Shortly thereafter, Grigoryan 
left his unit without leave, and according to Alaverdian, 
Grigoryan's father is currently hiding him in Armenia.  The 
Ombudsman's office has followed this case since May, but 
they have no record of a complaint by Grigoryan alleging 
abuse in the army as reported by Forum 18. 
 
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COMMENT 
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3. (SBU) Grigoryan may not qualify as a conscientious 
objector under the new Armenian law because he is not a 
member the Jehovah's Witnesses or any other group "holding 
to a pacifist doctrine."  The leader of the Jehovah's 
Witnesses in Armenia told us that Armen Grigoryan was not a 
member of their organization nor was he on his way towards 
membership.  The leader also noted that for several years 
the Jehovah's Witnesses have advised draftees to surrender 
themselves to police before reporting for military service. 
This procedure establishes the dissenter as a conscientious 
objector rather than a deserter subject to military law. 
Grigoryan's failure to follow this procedure further 
illustrates his distance from the Jehovah's Witnesses 
(although Grigoryan's father is a member of the community, 
Grigoryan himself has not indicated a desire to join the 
church, according to the Jehovah's Witnesses' leadership). 
We will continue to follow this case closely. 
EVANS