Issues related to legislative framework of freedom of religion or belief in Armenia as well as legal opinion provided by international experts in the field will be the focus of an OSCE-initiated roundtable discussion in Yerevan to be held on February 17.

The event co-organized by the Partnership for Open Society and UN DPI Yerevan Office will bring together representatives from government bodies, civil society and religious organizations, international community.

Participants will discuss the current situation on regulatory framework of the freedom of religion or belief in Armenia, recent amendments to the Law on Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organizations and related laws, Venice Commission and OSCE/ODIHR Interim Joint Opinion of 2010, which contains international standards and relevant ECHR case -law.

Ambassador Sergey Kapinos, the Head of the OSCE Office in Yerevan, will make an opening speech. Key speakers at the event will include H.E. Hrayr Tovmasyan, Minister of Justice of Armenia, Silvia Zehe, Head of the CoE  Office in Armenia, Armine Haladjian,  UN DPI Officer-in-Charge and Avetik Ishkhanyan, Chairman of Armenian Helsinki Committee NGO, Member of the Partnership for Open Society Initiative.