PACE HEAD ACCUSES ARMENIA OF FAILURE TO HONOR RESOLUTIONS

Assa-Irada
July 24 2008
Azerbaijan

President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
(PACE) Lluis Maria de Puig visiting Armenia has accused the countrys
authorities of failing to observe the resolutions passed by his
organization. He said that despite some progress in their enforcement,
more issues remained unresolved in this area.

PACE has passed a resolution after post-election violence in Yerevan
urging the authorities to immediately release political prisoners,
arraign those responsible for stand-off and allow protesters to
assemble freely. Puig, who has met with representatives of the
Heritage parliamentary faction, said he supported the Council of
Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Thomas Hammarbergs recent
proposal to set up a special group to look into the March violence
that followed Armenias presidential election. Puig also met with the
staunchly-opposition former Armenian president Levon Ter-Petrosian. The
two discussed the situation that emerged in the country. Ter-Petrosian
submitted to Puig a written appeal authored by the Special
Investigation Service chief Andranik Mirzoyan that he termed as proof
that Armenian opposition is facing repressions. Armenias February 19
presidential election was followed by mass protests that were quelled
on March 1. The opposition had refused to recognize the results of
the election won by Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian, charging vote
rigging and taking to the streets. 28 people were reported killed
in the clashes and hundreds were injured. The state of emergency was
announced immediately after the clashes but was later cancelled under
international pressure. The disturbances have heightened political
tensions in the South Caucasus republic.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress