DAVID HARUTYUNYAN: “ARMENIA NEEDS IT MORE”
Support A1+!After the approval of yet another document on Armenia in the PACE, head of the Armenian delegation David Harutyunyan remarked that Armenia needs these kinds of discussions more than Europe.
“There are neither winners nor losers. I don’t like the question if I consider this a victory. Victory is democracy, protection of human rights at the highest level. This is just a discussion and a process,” told journalists David Harutyunyan.
Let us remind that the PACE decided today not to suspend the Armenian delegation’s voting rights and extended the deadline for meeting the requirements until the April session.
Don’t you think that in the case of a proposal to make changes in the legislation the prisoners will continue to stay in prison?-asked one of the journalists. One of the reasons for not applying sanctions against Armenia was that Armenian lawmakers are planning on revising the articles of the Criminal Code by which the opposition members are accused.
“Not everything is solved in the result of any step that is taken today, but that doesn’t stop me from taking positive steps. I am sure that they are going to follow-up on the legislation,” said Mr. Harutyunyan.
As for the statement made by the Armenian National Congress according to which only two of the 16 prisoners released last week by the amnesty decrees issued by Serzh Sargsyan are political prisoners, Mr. Harutyunyan said:
“Based on my information, all those people were sentenced in relation to the events of March 1-2. It is hard for me to say whom the opposition considers political prisoners, ask them.”
Karine Asatryan
Strasbourg
