Opposition in Armenia prepares another rally

Yerevan Mayoralty refused to sanction the rally of the Nationwide Movement of Armenia planned for August 1 in the Freedom Square near Matenadaran. At the same, as Levon Zurabyan, representative of the Nationwide Movement Centre, told journalists at today's press conference, the Mayoralty tried "to start bargaining with the opposition."

"A Mayoralty official wanted to make a deal with our representative saying that he is ready to sanction the rally, if the opposition would give up the idea of a march," Mr Zurabyan said and characterized these bureaucrat's actions as "illegal transaction offer."

As a whole, the Centre of Nationwide Movement believes that the authorities are ignoring the PACE Resolution and by means of "minor frauds" cheat the Council of Europe, trying to convince it that they allegedly follow the Resolution's provisions.

Levon Zurabyan has noted that apart from refusing to sanction opposition's rallies, after the June PACE session, the authorities have in fact stopped releasing political prisoners. After the latest PACE session decided to postpone consideration of the Armenian issue till January 2009, only 3 persons were released from custody.

The representative of the Centre of Nationwide Movement has also said that all the TV Companies "received an order" to provide the opposition with minimum time on air and start total propaganda in favour of ruling authorities.