AN ARMENIA PLAN WILL BE DRAFTED

A1+
[07:29 pm] 30 September, 2008

As proposed during today’s PACE monitoring session, CE Commissioner
for Human Rights Thomas Hammerberg will make another visit to
Armenia. During today’s morning session, PACE monitors heard the
brief report of the co-reporters on the fulfillment of the last
resolutions on Armenia, as well as the results of the visit of the CE
Human Rights Commissioner to Armenia in July. According to Armenian
delegation member Raffi Hovhannisian, the monitors expressed the
concern that the Armenian authorities are not consistent enough with
the solution to the problems and expressed the hope that Armenia
registers progress in democracy, human rights and finds a solution
to the March 1 events soon.

In his speech, Raffi Hovhannisian reminded that seven months have
passed since the March 1 events, yet opposition activists and
citizens who have absolutely nothing to do with the events remain
in prison. Hovhannisian evaluated the work of the co-reporters and
said that it is necessary for them to be held accountable and not
have any clash of interests in the country, but he didn’t imply the
co-reporters on Armenia.

During the session, the PACE monitors proposed to draft a document and
approve it during the next summer session, but it is not excluded that
the Commission will review its agenda and will present the document
during this PACE session. Let us remind that as he had stated during
the summer session, Raffi Hovhanissian is not participating in the PACE
plenary sessions because he is not content with the double standards
being applied. He is taking part in the commission sessions because
he is a member of the Armenian delegation and has his obligations,
for example, the solution to the issue concerning the preservation
of cultural heritage in Nor Jugha.

The remaining delegation members were consulting after the session
and promised to respond to our questions later.