13:44, 26 June 2008

PACE gives time to Armenia to fulfil all requirements of Resolution No. 1609

The PACE's Monitoring Commission has supported with its 24 votes the document on the progress in fulfilling the requirements of PACE's Resolution No. 1609. According to the new document, Armenia will have time till January 2009 to cope with all the requirements.

As to the issue of political prisoners, David Arutyunyan (Republican Party), head of the Armenian delegation, told journalists that the Armenian delegation had brought a number of corrections enabling to make responsible those people who actually committed crimes.

Concerning political prisoners, the PACE's Monitoring Commission plans to make another report in September.

The newly-adopted document notes that all the cases initiated under Articles 300 ("Seizure of state power") and 225 ("Mass disorders") of the Criminal Code should be stopped, unless there are well-grounded evidences or other serious criminal offences. It has been especially noted that it is inadmissible when guilty verdicts are passed by courts only on the basis of policemen's evidences.

Author: Lilit Ovanisyan, CK correspondent