17 June 2008, 14:04
PACE mission members meet the first Armenian President of Armenia Ter-Petrosyan
On June 16 late at night, co-Rapporteurs of the PACE Monitoring Mission George Colombier and John Prescott had a meeting with Levon Ter-Petrosyan, the first president of Armenia. They discussed the fulfilment process of the PACE's Resolution No. 1609 and ways out of the internal political crisis in Armenia.
Simona Granata-Menguinin, head of the department for constitutional cooperation of the Venetian Commission of Council of Europe, told the Armenian Office of Radio Liberty that the Commission would like to see that the Armenian courts are really investigating the arguments used by the authorities to ban the rally on June 20 in the Freedom Square and move it to some other place.
"I'm convinced that the authorities should consider the importance of this or that rally, including its political value. Not every rally can be considered such important as to ban another one," Ms Granata-Menguinin has emphasized.
Speaking about the latest amendments made in the Law "On Rallies, Assemblies, Marches and Demonstrations" and signed by President Serzh Sarkisyan on June 16, the European expert said: "Now, it's a nice peace of law, but if it's poorly enforced, Armenia will have no freedom of assembly. There's no doubt in it."
See earlier reports: "Armenia: rallies in defence of political prisoners continue", "PACE concerned with Armenia's reaction to Resolution No. 1609", "Armenian human rights activist ask PACE Chairman to interfere into the situation in the country".
Author: Lilit Ovanisyan, CK correspondent
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