Author: Hambik Zargarian

 16:07,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 26, ARMENPRESS. A bill on amending the Electoral Code will be introduced for public discussions in February, the My Step parliamentary faction MP Hamazasp Danielyan told reporters after the ruling bloc held a meeting.

He said the ruling bloc lawmakers discussed potential constitutional amendments, a possible self-dissolution of parliament and other options.

“During February we will introduce the Electoral Code first for public discussions then into circulation, meaning the part of the code which relates to the electoral procedures and other parts. When we were planning electoral reforms one and a half years ago, we had an idea that we would address the main part after constitutional amendments, because the electoral procedure includes clauses which are regulated by the Constitution,” he said, adding that despite constitutional amendments haven’t taken place the Electoral Code package is ready.

Danielyan says the ruling bloc discussed the possibility of making some constitutional amendments in parliament. “We discussed several options, and discussions are still ongoing.”

Asked whether or not they discussed the possibility of enabling parliament to “self-dissolve” – a brainchild of their colleague MP Vahagn Hovakimyan – he said they have indeed discussed it. “There are many ideas, it’s not one thing, there are many items relating to the timeframes of early elections and others,” he said.

Danielyan noted that making constitutional amendments in parliament isn’t solely up to the ruling bloc. “Such an amendment requires at least 88 votes, therefore the opposition should also express its view. Therefore, we are still at a very early stage for me to be able to give concrete information. There was no concrete decision at the discussion,” Danielyan said.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 11:11, 22 January, 2021

YEREVAN, JANUARY 22, ARMENPRESS. The CDC reports 183 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Armenia, bringing the cumulative total number of confirmed cases to 165,711.

2042 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours.

9 people died from COVID-19 complication, raising the death toll to 3030. This number doesn’t include the deaths of 744 other people (2 in the last 24 hours) infected with the virus, who died from other pre-existing illnesses, according to the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

The total number of recoveries is 154,259 (213 in the last 24 hours).

The number of active cases as of 11:00, January 22 stood at 7678.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 15:07,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 22, ARMENPRESS. Congressman Adam Schiff says that the US Congress must recognize Artsakh as an independent country.

Speaking to Asbarez, Schiff added that the OSCE Minsk Group should resume the negotiations for resolving the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

The Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee also spoke about the issue of curbing Turkey’s role in the region.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

Armenia to submit complaint to ECHR against Azerbaijan

 20:58, 16 January, 2021

YEREVAN, JANUARY 16, ARMENPRESS. Armenia is planning to submit a complaint to the European Court of Human Rights against Azerbaijan, representative of Armenia to the ECHR Yeghishe Kirakosyan told ARMENPRESS.

''It's quite a long time we have been carrying out preparatory works – evidence collection, evaluation, complaint preparation processes. In the nearest future we are planning to submit a complaint against Azerbaijan. It will cover a wide range, from the protecting the rights of victims, the wounded, the displaced, to the claims on lost or damaged property, which we think are quite numerous'', Kirakosyan said.

According to him, all the violations of the international law, including the international humanitarian law, will be addressed in the complaint.

 13:11,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 18, ARMENPRESS. Human Rights Defender of Armenia Arman Tatoyan has sent an official letter today to the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs and the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office over the issue relating to the return of the Armenian prisoners of war from Azerbaijan and the protection of their rights.

“Among other issues the letter also states that the return or release of POWs should be viewed exclusively within the framework of human rights or humanitarian process. The letter addresses both the captured servicemen and civilians.

The return of POWs should be ensured immediately after the end of the military operations. This is a universal demand of international action subject to automatic implementation. Doing the opposite violates the international demands of human rights and the international humanitarian law, including the third Geneva Convention of 1949.

Therefore, point 8^th of the November 9 trilateral statement has an autonomous meaning and should act exclusively with an autonomous interpretation. It in no way can be viewed in connection or dependence with the remaining points of the statement”, the Ombudsman said on Facebook.

Tatoyan noted that the November 9 trilateral statement should be applied on all situations before and after it as long as there is an objective necessity for the protection of human rights and humanitarian process conditioned by the war operations.

“The fact that the return of 64 captured Armenian servicemen is delayed with the abuse of legal process is a very vital issue”, he said.

“The studies of the Ombudsman and the results of the investigation of complaints constantly affirm that Azerbaijan is artificially delaying the release of the Armenian POWs, is not announcing the real number of POWs. This also contradicts the international demands of human rights and violates firstly the rights of their family members.

Moreover, the evidence collected by the staff of the Ombudsman proves that their number is much more than confirmed by the Azerbaijani authorities. This relates also prior to the return of the 44 POWs”, Tatoyan said.

“Taking into account the humanitarian mandates of the OSCE Minsk Group and the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and their role in the protection of human rights and the fact that our compatriots have been captured in Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh), the letter has drawn the attention of the Co-Chairs to the aforementioned and all other issues, raising an urgent necessity for taking decisive measures to release the POWs and rule out the politicization of the issue”, he said.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Pashinyan's Moscow visit discussed at a meeting of PM with ''My step'' bloc

 19:40,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 14, ARMENPRESS. The details of the January 11 Moscow visit of P Pashinyan were discussed at the meeting of Pashinyan with the parliamentary faction of ''My step'' bloc, head of the parliamentary faction Lilit Makunts told the reporters.

''That was a regular meeting which are usually held on monthly basis. The meeting addressed the details of the January 11 visit, as well as the future activities of our political team’', Makunts said, adding that the issue of PoWs was in the first place of the agenda of the meeting. ''There is nothing new in this direction, if there is any, the Government will announce'', she said.