ANC FAMILIARISES PACE WITH ITS OPINION
Karine Asatryan

A1+
[06:59 pm] 28 January, 2009

The Armenian National Congress (ANC) expresses disappointment at PACE’s
attitude towards Armenia, in particular at the adoption of Resolution
1643 during yesterday’s session. Armenia’s senior oppositionists
Levon Zurabyan and Arman Grigoryan today handed the PACE delegates
ANC’s letter regarding Resolution 1643 as a "backward step" from the
Monitoring Committee’s draft resolution of December 17, 2008.

"The letter was given to all parliamentarians both in printed and
electronic versions," Levon Zurabyan said to A1+.

"The voting at the Monitoring Committee and Assembly was based on
unverified information," runs the ANC letter.

The Congress ensures that out of the 16 detainees granted a
Presidential pardon last week 14 are criminals and only two have been
recognised as political prisoners by the Armenian opposition.

The ANC is surprised that the Co- rapporteurs welcome the Presidential
decree when in reality most detainees appealing for pardon were forced
to sign the document.

The Congress states that 58 political prisoners are still jailed, and
their existence puts the verisimilitude of the report into question.

The letter says the authorities’ pledge to amend Articles 225 and
300 of Armenia’s Criminal Code is another trick to gain time.

Furthermore, the Congress voices concern that "the Co- rapporteurs’
activity lacks transparency, and they avoid any contact with the
Armenian opposition.

The co-authors say that the fact that the Co- rapporteurs didn’t
meet with the Armenian opposition during their last visit to Yerevan
"directly affected the quality of their report and the reputation of
the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe."

The Armenian National Congress voices hope that the situation will
soon be remedied which will require "active involvement and assiduous
work of PACE relevant bodies and political groups."