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June 17, 2008 Armenia’s Civil Society Believes PACE Resolution 1609 is Not Honored
Yerevan—By the initiative of the National Citizens’ Initiative (NCI), Transparency International Anti-Corruption Center, as well as the “Huis,” “Helsinki Civil Assembly”, and “Mijnaberd” NGOs, the representatives of Armenia’s civil society—and specifically members from over thirty public associations—today gathered at NCI headquarters to attend the summary discussion with respect to the fulfillment of the requirements that were stipulated in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe’s (PACE) Resolution 1609 of April 17, 2008. The first speaker of the day, director Artur Sakunts of the Vanadzor office of the Helsinki Civil Assembly, reflected on the matter of launching an independent probe into the March 1 tragedy. According to Sakunts, all the measures which Armenian authorities have initiated in terms of implementing the terms of the aforesaid PACE Resolution—and specifically regarding the abovementioned tragedy—simply are imitational in nature. “And, instead of investigating the causes and circumstances behind this tragedy and exposing this crime, these measures in effect are aimed at covering up this felony,” he said. In his intervention, defense attorney Vahe Grigorian examined the issue of political pursuits and prisoners. He spoke, with detailed facts, about the current relevant court hearings and noted that the preliminary investigations and the court trials were conducted with numerous violations of the law. “Justice is an illusion in Armenia,” Grigorian stated. He also brought forth many examples of the fact that the law enforcement bodies had disregarded, generally on absurd and unlawful grounds, the countless formal petitions made against political pursuits, or other infringements upon the law.
The next speaker, director Sona Aivazian of the Transparency International Anti-Corruption Center, explored the changes and amendments made to the Armenian law “On Holding Assemblies, Public Meetings, Marches, and Demonstrations.” She underscored that those measures, which the authorities hastily are undertaking to that effect, are obscure and do not include the pertinent sides to this issue. “These measures do not serve the pure objective of the law which is the creation of necessary conditions for holding pacific assemblies and without the presence of any arms. And instead they create grounds for arbitrariness and discrimination, and curtail human rights,” Aivazian maintained. In her view, even though the most recent changes that were made in this law do include certain proposals made by the Venice Commission, they still are insufficient and do not reinstate the citizens’ constitutionally protected right to hold pacific assemblies. In the shared view of the discussion participants, these imitational actions taken by Armenia’s authorities do not help ease the domestic political tension and restore the public trust toward statal institutions. The attendees also reached consensus that the acting administration has not honored the requirements made in PACE Resolution 1609. The roundtable discussants also adopted a joint statement wherein they presented their position with respect to Armenia’s fulfillment of the terms of the aforesaid resolution. They also decided to petition Raffi K. Hovannisian, leader of the parliament’s sole opposition group, formally requesting of him to introduce this statement to the forthcoming PACE session.
Artur Sakunts, “Vanadzor office of the Helsinki Civil Assembly” NGO, at (0322) 4-22-68 (tel.) or hcav@hcav.am (email); Sona Aivazian, Transparency International Anti-Corruption Center; Natalia Martirosian, “Helsinki Civil Assembly Armenia Committee” NGO, Yerevan, at hca@netsys.am (email); Lala Aslikian, “Huis” NGO, Yerevan, at (093) 44-76-43 (tel.) or lalakap2000@yahoo.com (email); and Nune Dilanian, “Mijnaberd” NGO,Yerevan, at (094) 57-12-88 (tel.) or noune@web.am (email).
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