MONITORING COMMITTEE CONCERNED ABOUT IMPLEMENTATION OF RESOLUTIONS 1609 AND 1620 BY ARMENIA
Panorama.am
2:50 02/10/2008
The Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly received the
report from the Human Rights Commissioner regarding his visit to
Yerevan from 13 to 15 July 2008 and was extremely alarmed about its
findings and conclusions that show that only limited progress has been
achieved regarding key demands of the Assembly. The Committee therefore
invited the Human Rights Commissioner to return to Yerevan and report
back to the Committee at its meeting in Paris on 17 December 2008.
The Committee took note that, while the investigations regarding
persons in preventive detention have now closed, the cases against
seven, all charged under articles 300 and 225, have not yet
been brought before the courts as a result of excessive length of
investigation. In addition, the Committee is deeply concerned that the
investigations regarding the responsibility for the 10 deaths on 1 and
2 March have not yet been, or not yet on the point of being, concluded.
The Committee regrets that the Armenian authorities did not consider
the possibility of amnesty, pardons or any other legal means available
to them, to resolve the situation regarding persons deprived of their
liberty in relation to the events on 1 and 2 March 2008. It strongly
urges the authorities to consider such options, which would result
in major progress towards meeting the requirements of the Assembly.
The Committee is of the view that Armenia is on a threshold regarding
the implementation of Resolutions 1609 and 1620. Now is the time
for the Armenian authorities to show the political will to resolve
this problem.