ARMENIA TO BE DISCUSSED ON JUNE 24

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09:56 pm | May 26, 2009

Politics

Co-rapporteurs John Prescott and Georges Colombier will present the
functioning of democratic institutions in Armenia during the PACE
summer sitting.

Discussions on Armenia are scheduled for June 24, yet there is still
no document in circulation. It will most probably be ready after the
session of the Monitoring Committee, which is scheduled for early June.

On June 23, a day before the discussion on Armenia, the PACE Delegates
will elect the new secretary of the Council of Europe.

PACE Delegates have put into circulation a document, which
proposes a clear definition for properly identifying "political
prisoners". Authors of the document mention that at the present time,
there are real concerns that there are no clear criteria for defining
political prisoners.

They consider appointing a rapporteur to present a report that contains
a clear criterion and a benchmark for who should be regarded as a
genuine political prisoner.

"The process of appointing a rapporteur is in the interest of all
member states of the Council of Europe. We also request that this
be done and a report adopted by the Assembly before any report on
political prisoners is prepared in respect of Azerbaijan, Armenia,
Moldova or any other country," as stated by the authors.

The document has been signed by 25 PACE Delegates, including head
of the Russian delegation. There are no Armenian delegates among
the signatories.