CE COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS TO ARRIVE IN ARMENIA
ARKA
March 11, 2008
YEREVAN, March 11. /ARKA – Novosti-Armenia/. CE Commissioner for
Human Rights Thomas Hammarberg is to arrive in Armenia this week
on a three-day visit to discuss the complicated internal political
situation in the country, CE information office told "Novosti-Armenia".
The rallies of opposition protesting against the outcome of the
presidential vote in Armenia, developed into disturbances and clashes
between demonstrators and the Police. On March 1 Armenia’s President
imposed a state of emergency on Yerevan, effective for 20 days,
under item 6 paragraph 14 of Article 55, Armenia’s Constitution
(threat to the country’s security and population).
According to the report, Hammarberg is to meet with high
ranking Armenian officials to support effective human rights
protection. Particularly, the Commissioner is to meet with Armenian
President Robert Kocharian, the Prime-Minister and President-elect
Serge Sargsian, ex-president Levon Ter-Petrosian, Speaker of the
Parliament Tigran Torosian, Chairman of the Constitutional Court
Gagik Harutiunian, Human Rights Defender Armen Harutiunian, diplomats,
representatives of international organizations and civil society.
Hammarberg will also visit the custodies, police stations and
hospitals to meet with participants of events, the information office
reported. According to the report, he expressed concern about the
human rights situation in Armenia and the consequences of the state
of emergency in the country.
The Commissioner stressed the urgency of lifting restrictions on mass
media and activities of political parties and NGOs.
On March 10 Armenia’s President Robert Kocharian signed a decree
on lifting certain provisions of the state of emergency in Yerevan,
i.e. the provisions on "temporary interruption of activities of parties
and other public organizations, which hinder the elimination of the
conditions, which became a reason for imposing the state of emergency"
and "sending out the people, who violated legal order of the state
of emergency and who do not reside in the zone of its effect". -0–