PACE TO CONSIDER IMPLEMENTATION OF RESOLUTIONS 1609 AND 1620

A1+
[04:29 pm] 03 December, 2008

Co-rapporteurs George Columbier and John Prescott will present the
implementation of PACE Resolutions 1609 and 1620 at the opening of
a January 29 session /at 3:00 p.m. local time/.

Remind that under Resolution 1620 the Assembly will review the
suspension of the rights of the Armenian delegation at its winter
session in case "Armenia doesn’t meet its requirements."

The Resolution says that by January, 2009,

4.7.1. the cases still under investigation should be closed or
promptly brought before courts to ensure the right to fair trial
within a reasonable time in compliance with the case law of the
European Court of Human Rights;

4.7.2. the cases under Articles 300 and 225 of the Criminal Code
should be dropped unless there is strong evidence that the accused
have personally committed acts of violence or ordered, abetted or
assisted to commit them;

4.7.3. a verdict based solely on a single police testimony without
corroborating evidence cannot be acceptable

4.7.4. the National Assembly should take into account the negative
opinion of the Venice Commission on the proposed amendments to Articles
225, 2251, 301 and 3011 of the Criminal Code.

According to the Resolution Armenia should ensure freedom of meetings,

The Assembly reiterates its demand that freedom of assembly should
also be guaranteed in practice in Armenia. It therefore insists that
the Armenian authorities should ensure that no undue restrictions are
placed on rallies organised by the opposition in compliance with the
law on Conducting Meetings, Assemblies, Rallies and Demonstrations,
especially with regard to the venues requested.

There is also a reference to freedom of expression in Armenia.

The Assembly recalls that there is a need for a pluralistic electronic
media environment in Armenia and, referring to the decision of the
European Court of Human Rights concerning the denial of broadcasting
license to A1+, calls on the licensing authority to now ensure an open,
fair and transparent licensing procedure, in line with the guidelines
adopted by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on 26
March 2008 and with the case law of the European Court of Human Rights.

Note that the PACE winter session scheduled for January 26-30 will
refer to the recent war between Russia and Georgia at the opening of
its January 2009 part-session.