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PACE SERIOUSLY CONCERNED OVER OSKANIAN CASE - ARMENIAN DELEGATES
tert.am
09.10.12
Several members and top figures of the Council of Europe's
Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) are seriously concerned over the criminal
case against ex-Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian.
After meeting the Armenian delegates to the Assembly - Naira
Zohrabyan (Prosperous Armenia party) and Vahan Hovhannisyan (Armenian
Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaksutyun) - the European parliamentarians
have extended their support to the Armenian politician.
"All the political groups and national delegations to the Assembly
have been given a relevant package and been notified of the details
which had been partially conveyed to them by ambassadors accredited
to Armenia. And we have received the most serious guarantees that the
case will be under the PACE's spotlight," Hovhannisyan and Zohrabyan
have said in a statement.
According to them, the European parliamentarians have asked to be
kept up to date on every new development in the process and promised
to rapidly respond to the concerns.
The Armenian delegates have expressed willingness to yield their
seat to Oskanian in the Assembly, realizing that the status vests a
Council of Europe parliamentarian with a certain degree of immunity.
Oskanyan, who is the founder of the Civilitas Foundation, quit the
organization's board in May to join the Prosperous Armenia party
and run for parliament. On May 25, the National Security Council
launched a money laundering proceeding against Civilatas, accusing
the foundation of a failure to report a $1.5 million donation to the
tax authorities. Oskanyan's lawyer later asked a Yerevan district the
court to halt the proceeding but his motion was rejected. Prosecutor
General Avghan Hovsepyan later asked the National Assembly to consider
stripping the ex minister of minister of mandate. His petition received
the parliament's approval last week, with the opposition MPs boycotting
the voting.
tert.am
09.10.12
Several members and top figures of the Council of Europe's
Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) are seriously concerned over the criminal
case against ex-Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian.
After meeting the Armenian delegates to the Assembly - Naira
Zohrabyan (Prosperous Armenia party) and Vahan Hovhannisyan (Armenian
Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaksutyun) - the European parliamentarians
have extended their support to the Armenian politician.
"All the political groups and national delegations to the Assembly
have been given a relevant package and been notified of the details
which had been partially conveyed to them by ambassadors accredited
to Armenia. And we have received the most serious guarantees that the
case will be under the PACE's spotlight," Hovhannisyan and Zohrabyan
have said in a statement.
According to them, the European parliamentarians have asked to be
kept up to date on every new development in the process and promised
to rapidly respond to the concerns.
The Armenian delegates have expressed willingness to yield their
seat to Oskanian in the Assembly, realizing that the status vests a
Council of Europe parliamentarian with a certain degree of immunity.
Oskanyan, who is the founder of the Civilitas Foundation, quit the
organization's board in May to join the Prosperous Armenia party
and run for parliament. On May 25, the National Security Council
launched a money laundering proceeding against Civilatas, accusing
the foundation of a failure to report a $1.5 million donation to the
tax authorities. Oskanyan's lawyer later asked a Yerevan district the
court to halt the proceeding but his motion was rejected. Prosecutor
General Avghan Hovsepyan later asked the National Assembly to consider
stripping the ex minister of minister of mandate. His petition received
the parliament's approval last week, with the opposition MPs boycotting
the voting.