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THIRD SECTION
CASE OF BUKHARATYAN v. ARMENIA
(Application no. 37819/03)
JUDGMENT
STRASBOURG
10 January 2012
FINAL
10/04/2012
This judgment has become final under Article 44 § 2 of the Convention. It may be subject to editorial revision.
In the case of Bukharatyan v. Armenia,
The European Court of Human Rights (Third Section), sitting as a Chamber composed of:
Josep Casadevall, President,
Corneliu Bîrsan,
Alvina Gyulumyan,
Egbert Myjer,
Ineta Ziemele,
Luis López Guerra,
Mihai Poalelungi, judges,
and Santiago Quesada, Section Registrar,
Having deliberated in private on 29 November 2011,
Delivers the following judgment, which was adopted on that date:
PROCEDURE
1. The case originated in an application (no. 37819/03) against the Republic of Armenia lodged with the Court under Article 34 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (“the Convention”) by an Armenian national, Mr Hayk Bukharatyan (“the applicant”), on 28 November 2003.
2. The applicant was represented by Mr J.M. Burns, a lawyer practising in Georgetown (Canada), Mr A. Carbonneau, a lawyer practising in Patterson (USA), and Mr R. Khachatryan, a lawyer practising in Yerevan. The Armenian Government (“the Government”) were represented by their Agent, Mr G. Kostanyan, Representative of the Republic of Armenia at the European Court of Human Rights.
3. On 6 September 2005 the President of the Third Section decided to give notice of the application to the Government.
4. On 23 June 2011 the President of the Third Section decided to apply Article 29 § 1 of the Convention and to rule on the admissibility and merits of the application at the same time.
THE FACTS
I. THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE CASE
5. The applicant was born in 1980 and lives in Yerevan.
A. Background to the case
6. The applicant is a Jehovah’s Witness. From 1993 he attended various Jehovah’s Witnesses religious services and was baptised on 26 June 1994 at the age of 13.
7. On 4 January 1997 the applicant was registered as a person liable for military service with the Shahumyan Military Commissariat.
8. In September 1998, when the applicant turned 18, he advised the military commissariat by letter that he refused to serve in the military because of his religious beliefs. At that time, he also left home being afraid that he would be taken to the military by force.
9. During the following months, according to the applicant, military personnel harassed his family in an attempt to force him to join the military.
10. On 15 December 1998 the applicant sent identical letters to the General Prosecutor of Armenia, the Ministry of Justice of Armenia, the Military Commissioner of Armenia, the Malatia-Sebastia District Prosecutor’s Office and the Shahumyan Military Commissariat, stating that it was contrary to his conscience and religious beliefs to serve in the military and that he was willing to perform alternative civilian service.
11. By a letter of 28 January 2000 the applicant was informed in writing by the Malatia-Sebastia District Prosecutor’s Office that no criminal proceedings would be brought against him, if he reported for military service. The letter also urged the applicant to fulfil his civic and filial duty to his motherland and to go through the school of maturity in the form of military service.
12. One year after receiving the above letter, the applicant was contacted by assistant prosecutor K. The applicant went to meet K. in April 2001. According to the applicant, he was told that a criminal case would not be initiated and that he would be forced to perform military service. The applicant was accused of being a traitor to his country, his religious beliefs were ridiculed, and he was mocked and cursed because he would not serve in the military.
13. On 5 July 2001 the applicant sent another letter to the authorities once again explaining the reasons