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PACE COMMITTEE DEMANDS SUSPENSION OF ARMENIA'S DELEGATION VOTING RIGHTS
Trend
Dec 18 2008
Azerbaijan
Declaring it "unacceptable" that persons could be charged and deprived
of their liberty for political motivation in Armenia in relation to
the events of 1 and 2 March 2008, the Monitoring Committee of the
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) recommended
suspending the voting rights of Armenia's eight-member delegation to
the Assembly until the authorities "have clearly demonstrated their
political will to resolve this issue." The co-rapporteurs would visit
the country in January 2009, with a view to reporting back to the
Committee on the first day of the January 2009 part-session on any
progress with respect to the release of these persons, reported A1+.
In two earlier resolutions, the Assembly had made several demands
following the post-electoral violence of March 2008, including the
holding of an independent, transparent and credible inquiry into what
happened, and the release of persons detained on "seemingly artificial
and politically motivated charges" in connection with those events.
In its draft resolution, adopted in Paris, the Monitoring Committee
welcomed the Armenian President's creation of a fact-finding group of
experts to look into the March events as an important step towards
meeting the Assembly's demands, but cautioned that its credibility
would depend on how it conducts its work. They also expressed
satisfaction at efforts to initiate reforms in the media, electoral
legislation and the judiciary.
However, the parliamentarians said that "notwithstanding positive
developments in some areas" the limited progress with regard to the
release of the above mentioned persons meant the Armenian delegation
should be deprived of its vote, if no further progress is reached in
this request before the January 2009 PACE plenary session.
The Assembly is due to decide on the matter on Thursday 29 January
during its forthcoming Winter plenary Session (26 - 30 January 2009).
Trend
Dec 18 2008
Azerbaijan
Declaring it "unacceptable" that persons could be charged and deprived
of their liberty for political motivation in Armenia in relation to
the events of 1 and 2 March 2008, the Monitoring Committee of the
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) recommended
suspending the voting rights of Armenia's eight-member delegation to
the Assembly until the authorities "have clearly demonstrated their
political will to resolve this issue." The co-rapporteurs would visit
the country in January 2009, with a view to reporting back to the
Committee on the first day of the January 2009 part-session on any
progress with respect to the release of these persons, reported A1+.
In two earlier resolutions, the Assembly had made several demands
following the post-electoral violence of March 2008, including the
holding of an independent, transparent and credible inquiry into what
happened, and the release of persons detained on "seemingly artificial
and politically motivated charges" in connection with those events.
In its draft resolution, adopted in Paris, the Monitoring Committee
welcomed the Armenian President's creation of a fact-finding group of
experts to look into the March events as an important step towards
meeting the Assembly's demands, but cautioned that its credibility
would depend on how it conducts its work. They also expressed
satisfaction at efforts to initiate reforms in the media, electoral
legislation and the judiciary.
However, the parliamentarians said that "notwithstanding positive
developments in some areas" the limited progress with regard to the
release of the above mentioned persons meant the Armenian delegation
should be deprived of its vote, if no further progress is reached in
this request before the January 2009 PACE plenary session.
The Assembly is due to decide on the matter on Thursday 29 January
during its forthcoming Winter plenary Session (26 - 30 January 2009).