DOES THE ADMINISTRATION HAVE ENOUGH ARGUMENTS?

A1+
[06:12 pm] 20 January, 2009

The Armenian issue will be discussed at Parliamentary Assembly of
the Council of Europe to be held on January 27 for two hours. During
the discussion, members of the Armenian delegation, including head
of the delegation Davit Harutyunyan, members Armen Rustamyan, Naira
Zohrabyan and Avet Adonts, will try to present how Armenia has met
the requirements stated in resolutions 1609 and 1620 through the
combined efforts of the Armenian authorities.

As to who will manage to give a better report in the limited amount
of time will be decided on the spot. However, member of the Prosperous
Armenia party Naira Zohrabyan believes that the administration doesn’t
have enough arguments to present.

"The co-rapporteurs are concerned about prisoners of the "Case of
Seven". I fully hope that the administration is taking certain steps
towards solving that issue," told "A1+" Naira Zohrabyan.

She recalled that the issue concerning the reforms and clearer
formulation of article 300 of the RA Criminal Code are under discussion
and that it was one of the main requirements of the co-rapporteurs,
according to press releases.

"We are working on it and have some arguments to present in the
Council of Europe. I can’t predict how the vote of the delegates will
be. Nevertheless, the Armenian delegation will try to present what
the administration has completed. I can’t say whether or not they
will meet the requirements of the CE delegates," said Zohrabyan.

As for the possible sanctions, Naira Zohrabyan doesn’t believe that
applying sanctions will solve the issue of democratization in Armenia.

"I don’t share the opinions that it doesn’t matter whether Armenia
loses its voting rights or not. If we have integrated into the Council
of Europe, we must be guided by their system of values and play by
the rules of the game," said Naira Zohrabyan.

We recalled the reforms in the law on broadcasting by which television
stations are deprived of the opportunity to receive licensing. Thus,
once again, they refuse to restore the violated right of "A1+"
to digitization.

Will the issue concerning "A1+" impede the decision? Naira Zohrabyan
reminded that she hasn’t participated in the vote for that bill because
she saw political risks. As for the "Case of Seven", Zohrabyan noted:

"We are in a labyrinth. The political prisoners refuse to stand up,
the judge postpones the trial and the environment in the courtroom is
unhealthy. If the prisoners claim that the conclusions are false, it
has to be in their interest to have the trial in a healthy environment
and if the accusers claim that the charges are substantiated, it is
also in their interest to continue the trial. I just see trials turning
into scandals and I don’t think that it is in the interest of anybody."