YEREVAN.- A number of Armenian NGOs sent a letter addressed to the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), PACE members and CoE Commissioner for Human Rights, expressing their disappointment over draft resolution on democratic institutions in Armenia.

The letter reads as follows:

“On September 8, 2011 the Monitoring Committee of the Council of Europe adopted a draft resolution accompanied by an explanatory memorandum by Mr. Prescott and Mr. Fischer, co-rapporteurs for Armenia, on the functioning of democratic institutions in Armenia. We, the undersigned civil society organisations of Armenia, would like to express our deep disappointment and concern regarding the content and the essence of the abovementioned documents, which not only contradict the demands of the Parliamentary Assembly reflected particularly in its previous resolutions 1609 (2008), 1622 (2008), 1643 (2009) and 1677 (2009), but also contain internal contradictions, opposing the principles of democracy, human rights and the rule of law and devaluing the monitoring procedure of the PACE in general.  The draft resolution and the accompanying report in both form and spirit not only do not contribute to the establishment and the strengthening of democratic institutions, but even strengthen the sense of impunity regarding systematic human rights violations in Armenia.

We are particularly concerned about the following:

1. Firstly, under the pressure of the Armenian people as well as the international community, in the spring of 2011 Serzh Sargsyan admitted that the 1 March, 2008 events, in particular the killing of at least 10 citizens of Armenia, had not been investigated properly, and he instructed the appropriate agencies to re-examine the case. Yet there has been no progress on the investigation to date. Even more, all statements by law enforcement officials demonstrate clearly that the current authorities do not have any intention toward this end. This indicates that all steps and declarations by Armenian Government are purely imitative and are aimed at covering up the crime, avoiding justice and deceiving the international community. Somehow the Monitoring Committee has not only disregarded these facts but has even accepted in advance the likelihood of a zero outcome to the so-called investigation, and even points out to our authorities the best way to avoid  responsibility for the violation of such rights as the right to life. Furthermore, based on the abovementioned biased  approach, the Committee takes upon itself the responsibility to declare that “the chapter on the March 2008 events can finally be considered closed,” thereby providing the as yet unidentified criminals a clear chance to escape national and international responsibility.  (11. The Assembly considers … the renewed impetus to investigate the 10 deaths during the March 2008 events … mean that the chapter on the March 2008 events can finally be considered closed. 3. … the Assembly considers that: 3.2. in the event that individual responsibility for the 10 deaths can not be established, the reasons for this should be fully explained in the report of the investigation; 3.5. the authorities should publish the report before the end of 2011, or alternatively, consider the publication of an interim report.

 

2. Secondly, by even not mentioning the continuous and gross violation by the Armenian authorities of the  electoral rights of the people as the real cause of 1 March 2008 events, by keeping silent about such an outrageous fact as the illegal involvement of the Army in internal politics and by fully accepting the distortions presented by the current Armenian authorities regarding the causes of 1 March 2008 developments, and thereby allowing them to avoid responsibility for the said crimes and even giving them credit for obviously imitative actions, including so-called legislative reforms aimed exclusively at maintain the power  they usurped, the Committee only facilitates the reoccurrence of such violations.  (2. The Assembly takes note of the report of Ad Hoc  Parliamentary Inquiry Committee of the National Assembly and considers that, despite a number of shortcomings, its recommendations constitute a sound basis for addressing the underlying causes of the March 2008 events and for preventing similar situations from developing in the future.).  

3. And finally, in this document, the authors clearly exceeded the scope of their authority and explicitly disregarded such fundamental and underlying principle of democracy enshrined in many international documents and national laws as the will of the people in regard of the conduct of elections, be they scheduled or snap. It is the right of the Armenian people to demand snap elections, and many regard them as the only way to restore public trust in electoral processes. Authorities in any democratic state, even in Armenia, are obliged to meet the demands of the people, including the demand to conduct early elections. Thus, such arguments as the timing or the level of preparedness of the authorities in this respect are not valid and are inconsistent with the purpose of the Monitoring procedure, which, in any case, should not compromise the principles of democracy and human rights in the name of illusive stability.

In view of the above, we call upon the Parliamentary Assembly to revise the content and the wording of the draft resolution in accordance with the facts and realities that exist in Armenia and to adopt relevant amendments. Inaction and tolerance on the part of the Assembly in regard to violations of our common values and principles in any CoE member state, including Armenia, contradicts the purpose of the establishment of the Organisation, contributes to the recurrence of such violations, and casts a shadow upon the credibility of the CoE in the eyes of European nations and the international human rights community.

Alla Hovhannisyan            March 1 NGO

Natalya Martirosjan           Helsinki citizens assambli, Armenia

Vardan Harutyunyan         Centr for raghts and freedom

Artur Sakunts                   Helsink Citizens Assambly Vanadzor

Mikayel Danielyan             Helsinki Association

Melissa Brawn                   Shahkhatun women for democracy

Izabella Sargstan              Youth for Democracy NGO

Ruth Grigoryan                 Advokats international