PACE URGES ARMENIA TO RELEASE POLITICAL PRISONERS
Interfax News Agency
April 17 2008
Russia
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has called
on the Armenian government to launch an independent investigation
into the March 1 events in Yerevan, free political prisoners and
soften the law on assemblies and other forms of public protest.
The call came in a PACE resolution on the state of democratic
institutes in Armenia, which was passed at a plenary session on
Thursday.
The authors of the document, members of the PACE Monitoring
Commission John Prescott and George Coloumbier, urge Armenia to
conduct a transparent investigation of the March 1 events, lift all
charges from opposition supporters and deputies if they committed
no offenses, release all prisoners who were arrested for political
reasons, and introduce amendments to law on assemblies, rallies,
marches and demonstrations.
The PACE recommended Armenia to reform its political and election
systems and guarantee the impartiality of judges and freedom of
the press.