COE ON ARMENIA: SPECIAL VISIT OF COMMISSIONER HAMMARBERG TO ASSESS INQUIRY PROGRESS

COE.Int
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Nov 20 2008

The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Thomas Hammarberg,
will carry out a special visit to Armenia from 20 to 22 November to
assess the situation of persons deprived of their liberty in relation
to the event of 1-2 March and the inquiry into those events.

"I intend to assess the situation of persons deprived of their liberty
and the progress made in discovering the responsibilities of the March
events" he said. "It is essential that a true and factual description
of what actually happened is established. If this can be done it will
also benefit future work to protect human rights in Armenia."

During the visit, he will meet with the President of the Republic,
Serge Sargsyan, the Speaker of the National Assembly, the Minister for
Foreign Affairs, the Head of the National Police and the Prosecutor
General. He will also hold meetings with the Chairman of the ad hoc
inquiry committee of the National Assembly and the members of the
newly-established fact-finding group tasked with the inquiry into the
March events, the Human Rights Defender, as well as representatives of
international organisations and civil society. Commissioner Hammarberg
will also visit places of deprivation of liberty.

Last September, the Commissioner published his findings stating that
there was an urgent need to reach a satisfactory solution for prisoners
and to hold accountable those responsible for the March events.