DECISIONS OF EUROPEAN COURT REACH US IN HALF A YEAR

A1+
[05:42 pm] 17 July, 2007

The European Court of Human Rights has issued its first verdict against
the Republic of Armenia this winter. Armen Lazarian, member of the
National Renaissance party has not yet received that decision.

Armen Lazarian had applied to the European Court in 2003 to dispute
his right of free movement violated by the RA authorities during
the 2002 gatherings and rallies, when he was brought to the police
station and arrested for a night and fined 500 drams.

The European Court’s decision should have been enforced 100 days
after it was made, but Armen Lazarian has not received an official
response from the RA Ministry of Justice.

"I do not know whether one deals with a state or not", said Armen
Lazarian. According to the rule, the decision of the Court should be
translated officially and sent to the applicant, so that the latter
will be able to take further steps in accordance with RA legislation.

Deputy Minister of Justice Gevorg Kostanyan, who is the RA
representative to the European Court informed us that the decision
of the Court "Armen Lazarian aginst the Republic of Armenia" had
been translated but they do not have the authority to give it to
Armen Lazarian.

"We have translated the decision and sent to the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs to authenticate the translation. It will be uploaded on our
website when it is ready", responded the media department of the
Justice Ministry.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said they received the translation
of the decision only yesterday, and their function was to identify
the translation.

When the translation of the decision is verified it will be sent back
to the Ministry of Justice.

Afterwards, it will be uploaded on the Ministry’s official website.

Armen Lazarian has the right to apply to the Court of Cessation
without applying to the First Instance Court or to the Appeal Court
and use the decision of the European Court as a precedent for all 200
people, who faced similar charges in the court but had not applied
to the European Court.

Reflecting on Serge Sargsyan’s statement that Europe liked to talk
but did not take measures, for example in opening Turkish frontiers
with Armenia, Armen Lazarian said: "And you like to talk about
European integration, but what do you do on the matter? When you take
appropriate measures, then you will receive a corresponding response
from Europe".