Another story covered by RFE/RL concerns the arrest of one of the Human Rights Ombudsman’s staff members for corruption. The employee was apparently arrested over he was caught taking a bribe of $300 from the owner of a restaurant in central Yerevan. Police illegally broke into the Ombudsman’s office on Friday morning and confiscated computers containing complaints of human rights abuses that should remain confidential.

“I have received no written assurances that the confidential information contained in the computer will not be used to the detriment of plaintiffs and government officials mentioned in their appeals,” Alaverdian said, calling NSS actions “inadmissible.” She also charged that the security agency violated the suspect’s legally guaranteed presumption of innocence by having state television broadcast the secretly filmed images.

Although the member of staff was filmed taking the bribe, Alaverdian accuses the police of violating due process. Moreover, in light of recent attacks on the Ombudsman by the Armenian President, the case seems to suggest that the authorities are trying to discredit her office after it surprised everyone by retaining some independence from the President who appointed her to the position.

While corruption is rampant in the NGO and other sectors and should be tackled, if only the police cared so much about the law when it comes to cases of high-level corruption by senior government officials and the bodyguards of oligarchs who beat people up and, from time to time, actually kill them. As always, the law is politically and subjectively applied in Armenia.

The full report can be read online here.