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Armenian rights acivists slam pressures against opposition MP
15:46 - 05.10.13
Several civil society activists have voiced their criticism against
what they believe the Armenian authorities' restrictions against the
opposition MP Zaruhi Postanjyan over a recent speech at the Council of
Europe's Parliamentary Assembly (PACE)
In a joint address, a group of human rights activists, heads of
non-governmental organizations, journalists and lawyers condemn the
authorities' tough stance on Postanjyan's statement, considering it a
restriction of her right to free speech and free self-expression.
Following Serzh Sargsyan's speech at the PACE plenary session,
Postanjyan, a lawmaker of the opposition Heritage party and a member
of Armenia's delegation to the Assembly, asked the president to
comment on the rumors that he has gambled away 70 million at a
European casino.
Her move received a strong reaction by the governing circles which
considered it a personal insult against the president . The speaker of
Armenia's National Assembly, Hovik Abrahamyan, said last week that he
intends to remove Postanjyan from the delegation for what he described
as a slanderous remark.
The Armenian civic activists find that by raising the question at the
Assembly, Postanjyan exercised her right to free speech. Citing
relevant provisions from the European Convention on Human Rights and
Armenia's Constitution, they say that the opposition MP did not
disclose a state secret that could pose a national security threat to
Armenia as a democratic state.
`We consider any step aimed at restricting Postanjyan's right to
speech and self-expression, and the individual threats and other
possible measures against her - including a final decision to exclude
her from the delegation -, unacceptable; we find that a persecution
against the opposition politician,' reads the statement.
Condemning possible pressures against the opposition MP, the group
calls upon the authorities to take appropriate measures towards
ensuring the security of Postanjyan and family.
The document has been signed by President of the Helsinki Assembly's
Vanadzor Office Avetik Ishkhanyan, Director of Transparency
International Anti-Corruption Center's Armenian Office Varuzhan
Hoktanyan, President of the Women Resources Center NGO Lara Aharonyan
and others.
Armenian News - Tert.am
15:46 - 05.10.13
Several civil society activists have voiced their criticism against
what they believe the Armenian authorities' restrictions against the
opposition MP Zaruhi Postanjyan over a recent speech at the Council of
Europe's Parliamentary Assembly (PACE)
In a joint address, a group of human rights activists, heads of
non-governmental organizations, journalists and lawyers condemn the
authorities' tough stance on Postanjyan's statement, considering it a
restriction of her right to free speech and free self-expression.
Following Serzh Sargsyan's speech at the PACE plenary session,
Postanjyan, a lawmaker of the opposition Heritage party and a member
of Armenia's delegation to the Assembly, asked the president to
comment on the rumors that he has gambled away 70 million at a
European casino.
Her move received a strong reaction by the governing circles which
considered it a personal insult against the president . The speaker of
Armenia's National Assembly, Hovik Abrahamyan, said last week that he
intends to remove Postanjyan from the delegation for what he described
as a slanderous remark.
The Armenian civic activists find that by raising the question at the
Assembly, Postanjyan exercised her right to free speech. Citing
relevant provisions from the European Convention on Human Rights and
Armenia's Constitution, they say that the opposition MP did not
disclose a state secret that could pose a national security threat to
Armenia as a democratic state.
`We consider any step aimed at restricting Postanjyan's right to
speech and self-expression, and the individual threats and other
possible measures against her - including a final decision to exclude
her from the delegation -, unacceptable; we find that a persecution
against the opposition politician,' reads the statement.
Condemning possible pressures against the opposition MP, the group
calls upon the authorities to take appropriate measures towards
ensuring the security of Postanjyan and family.
The document has been signed by President of the Helsinki Assembly's
Vanadzor Office Avetik Ishkhanyan, Director of Transparency
International Anti-Corruption Center's Armenian Office Varuzhan
Hoktanyan, President of the Women Resources Center NGO Lara Aharonyan
and others.
Armenian News - Tert.am