WHY DID THEY DEPRIVE ZARUHI?

Lragir.am
20/01/10

Armenia has been a member of the Council of Europe for 10 years and
took a number of commitments concerning the protection of rights and
freedoms. But the experience in 2008 showed that the requirements set
forth in the documents have nothing to do with the reality, said on
January 20, the member of the Heritage faction Zaruhi Postanjyan.

Postanjyan recalled that in Soviet times the right to freedom of
speech and rallies have also been declared, but the Soviet people knew
that the implementation of this right could be violent or even kill
them. Now Armenia is the same. An example of this is March 1. Bodies,
designed to monitor the implementation of the commitments, are
indifferent and deepen the atmosphere of impunity. The last example
is the sentence of Nikol Pashinyan which indicates the absence of
the judicial system in Armenia, said Zaruhi Postanjyan.

According to her, PACE is often guided not by human rights and
democratic principles, but geopolitical interests. The first PACE
resolution after the events of March 1 was tough enough, but in
all subsequent resolutions noted some progress. Thousands of people
have not detected this progress, but felt a step back. It is a pity
that the Council of Europe has adopted this position. However, the
Commission on Human Rights and the European Court upheld the rights
of thousands of people, but it is not enough.

In all this the society is guilty that tolerates lawlessness. Europe’s
response depends on the reaction of public organizations in the
country, says the MP.

Zaruhi Postanjyan also commented on the deprivation of her membership
to the Armenian delegation to PACE. She said that on January 25
there will be a meeting of the PACE, which the issue of Armenia will
appear on the agenda. It is noted that there will be discussions and
debate, but it is unclear on what issue. A member of the Armenian
delegation David Harutyunyan in an interview just confirmed that the
co-rapporteurs of PACE colluded with the Armenian authorities. That’s
why I was denied membership, Postanjyan said, noting that the PACE
no longer sounds the voice of the Armenian opposition. She also noted
that members of the Armenian delegation did not represent adequately
the state and national interests from the rostrum of the Parliamentary
Assembly.