Picketers in Yerevan find holding forum "In the Name of Democracy" in Armenia inappropriate

In Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, participants of a today's six-hour-long picket in support of political prisoners and democracy, held in parallel with the Council of Europe's forum "In the Name of Democracy", believe that it is not reasonable to hold such events in a country, which has political prisoners and failed to properly investigate the events of March 1, 2008.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that today in Armenia the Council of Europe (CE) has started its forum "In the Name of Democracy", which will consider the principles of democratic governance and application and impact of them in the context of responding to current socio-political challenges in the CE member countries. Along with the forum, a picket in support of political prisoners and democracy was organized in Yerevan.

Petros Makeyan, leader of the party "Democratic Motherland" and a former political prisoner, said to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent: "How was it possible to hold this forum in the country, where there are political prisoners; where the massacre of March 1, 2008, committed by the authorities in Yerevan, who killed ten persons, wasn't investigated; where de facto the election system is ruined; and where the PACE resolutions and decisions of the European Court of Human Rights are ignored?"

A similar opinion was expressed by Alexander Arzumanyan, ex-foreign minister and also former political prisoner, according to whose story "the forum in Yerevan is a clear indication that international organizations in the person of the Council of Europe are de facto not only supporting the regime of Serzh Sargsyan, but are its associates, since they shelter the crimes of this regime." He told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that during all three days protest actions will be held with the main demand to release 13 political prisoners.

Regarding country's political prisoners and the picket in defence of their rights, Eduard Sharmazanov, spokesman for the ruling Republican Party of Armenia, who is also secretary of the parliamentary faction of this party, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that there are no political prisoners in the country.