AGO GROUP PRESENTS 6-POINT PROPOSAL FOR GETTING ARMENIA OUT OF CURRENT SITUATION

Noyan Tapan
March 31, 2008

YEREVAN, MARCH 31, NOYAN TAPAN. The Ago Group currently on a visit to
Armenia has presented a proposal, which consists of 6 points and aims
to get Armenia out of the situation after the presidential election and
the March 1 events and to help the country to return to a democratic
way, Ambassador Per Sjogren, the head of the CE Committee of Ministers
monitiring Ago Group, stated at the March 31 press conference.

According to him, the Ago Group is in favor of a dialog involving all
the political forces of the country. He underlined the necessity of
starting dialog as soon as possible and without any preconditions. In
his words, constructive dialog is the most efficient way of resolving
the situation.

The head of the Ago Group announced that they join the calls of
various international organizations to release all those who have
been imprisoned for their political activity. The monitoring group
proposes that it should be regularly informed about the release and
trials of 102 arrested persons.

P. Sjogren said that yesterday the delegation went to "Kentron"
penitentiary and was informed that the arrested persons kept there
(some of them were arrested as long ago as early March) are isolated
from their relatives. The first point of the proposal made by Ago
Group is related to creation of the opportunity for the arrested
people’s families to be in touch with the detainees.

The Ago Group believes that the inquiry into the March 1 events should
be conducted by the Armenian state. The inquiry should be independent,
impartial and enjoy full confidence of the public. International
experts may be involved in this inquiry.

Per Sjogren expressed regret that the recent amendments in the RA Law
on Meetings, Rallies, Processions and Demonstrations were made by the
parliament without consulting the Council of Europe. According to him,
the Venice Commission has urgently made an examination of the law
and reached a number of critical conclusions. These conclusions were
sent to the government which will tranfer them to the parliament. "The
freedom of assembly is a right stipulated in the European Convention
and it must not be a subject of bargaining," the Ago Group head said.

The proposals of the AGo Group have been discussed with the authorities
and the opposition. The delegation met with the first Armenian
president Levon Ter-Petrosian, the justice minister, the prosecutor
general, and the delegation members are going to meet with the prime
minister Serge Sargsian.

In the words of Ambassador Sjogren, ambassadors of 9 CE states have
been included in the monitoring group. "This is the largest group to
visit Armenia since Ago Group’s creation in 2001, and it shows the
great interest that the CE and our governments take in the developments
taking place in Armenia," he said.