“A march from “Azatutyan” Square to Tsitsernakaberd will be conducted by opposition leaders on April 24”, announces the Armenian Pan-National Movement Center.

More than a hundred people have gathered in Northern Avenue at present. Some are talking to Levon Zurabian and leader of the Social Democratic Henchak Party Lyudmila Sarkissian, others are listening to Radio Liberty. Children are dancing and skipping.

The “Zharangutiun” (Heritage) Party has filed a request with the Prosecutor General to change the preventive punishment of the Armenian parliamentarians detained after the March 1 events. The letter was signed by “Zharangutiun” MPs Zaruhi Postanjian, Anahit Bakhshian, Larissa Alaverdian, Vardan Khachatrian, Stepan Safarian, freelance deputy Viktor Dallakian and BHK member Vardan Bostanjian.

The OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and Council of Europe's Venice Commission today welcomed the agreement reached with leading Armenian state representatives to make changes to the recently amended assembly law.

The Bureau of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) hasn’t set the draft resolution on “The State of the Turkish Cultural Heritage” going. The draft resolution was proposed by Raffi Hovannissian, member of the Armenian delegation to the PACE and Leader of “Zharangutiun” (Heritage) Party.

On April 18 the relatives and friends of Armenia’s political prisoners continued their protest action at the RA Procurator’s Office.

A rally is scheduled for 3 p.m., April 19, in the Children’s Park near the statue of Miasnikian. Armenian NGOs and political parties are invited to participate in the rally. An invitation has been sent to Armenia’s first President Levon Ter-Petrossian too.

On 19 February 2008, Presidential election took place in Armenia. Although “administered mostly in line with Council of Europe standards”, the Ad hoc committee which observed this election found a number of violations and shortcomings, the most important of which were: unequal campaign conditions for all candidates, lack of transparency of the election administration and a complaints and appeals process that did not give complainants access to...

The restraint of Suren Sueniants, member of the Political Board of the “Hanrapetutiun” (Republic) Party, was reviewed.

“Along with the Coalition Agreement the resolution passed at the spring session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) outlines the major steps which will enable Armenia to come out of the current awkward situation. It will serve a serious precedent to avoid such situations in future,” HHK MP and member of the Armenian delegation to the PACE, Hermine Naghdalian, told A1+.

A group of Armenians waved the Armenian flag at the European Council building today. Over a dozen people rode from Paris to Strasbourg to complain of the Armenian authorities and demand that the EC have an effect on them. They were mainly RA citizens. The demonstration was organized by the Armenian Committee for Democracy recently founded in Paris.

“The European Council should not have integrated Armenia until the latter held at least one legitimate election”, declared Hungarian MP Mattias Yorshi at the PACE discussion “The Functioning of Democratic Institutions in Armenia”. He recalled that back in 2001 when all the PACE members voted in favour of Armenia’s integration into the EC, only MP David Atkinson and he abstained. “If we are really eager to help Armenia we must tell the...

Former Presidential Candidate, Chairman of “National Democratic Union” Vazgen Manukian met with journalists for the first time after the elections. He accounted his silence for the oversensitivity of the political situation.

In order to move forward, Armenia should urgently undertake reforms of the political system and of the electoral process, guarantee the independence of the judiciary, the public media and freedom of assembly, and stop the harassment of opposition media outlets, arbitrary arrests and politically motivated detentions, the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) said today.

Today RA First President Levon Ter-Petrossian visited Komitas Pantheon to lay flowers on Karen Demirchian’s grave.

“Armenia has never carried out its responsibilities defined in PACE resolutions”, declared co-rapporteur John Prescott in his report on “The Functioning of Democratic Institutions in Armenia”. He noticed that the opposition was staging a demonstration even before the results of the February 19 Presidential Elections were announced. “Everybody knew people were going to stage protest actions.”

PACE discussions on the report “The Functioning of Democratic Institutions in Armenia” are now over. The Armenian side suggested 36 changes in the final resolution. Davit Harutyunian, Armen Rustamian, Avet Adonts, Hermine Naghdalian and Mher Shahgeldian signed under the suggestions.

“John Prescott and Georges Columbier’s draft resolution on “The Functioning of Democratic Institutions in Armenia” will be adopted with certain changes”, considers Armenian Delegate, “Heritage” Party Chairman Raffi Hovhannissian.

Today Karen Demirchian would have become 76. We lost him 9 years ago but all his relatives and friends still visit Komitas Pantheon where he is buried. People called him “Karen the Constructor” since Armenia was a most prosperous and advanced country under his rule.

On April 16 NA Speaker Tigran Torossian and the expert of the CoE Venice Commission Simona Granata-Menghini and the OSCE/ODIHR experts Denis Petit and Neil Jarman continued the discussion of the conclusion and recommendations regarding the amendments to the Armenian law on assemblies, rallies, marches and demonstrations passed on March 17, 2008.

“Official Yerevan attempts to pass a “beneficial” resolution in the Council of Europe not to degrade Armenia. They want to create an impression that nothing has happened in Armenia. It is but a trivial problem. Time will cure the wounds. Everything is passable. They hoped to overcome the crisis through negotiations-by giving a few portfolios to oppositionists and offering a post to Levon Ter-Petrossian,” HHSh member Hovhannes Igitian told...

On April 16 relatives and friends of the Armenian political prisoners held a protest action near the German Embassy in Armenia. Before the protesters arrived at the site, a group of policemen had chained the building.

“PACE discussions due on April 17 will give answers to many questions,” Co-rapporteur of the PACE report on “The Functioning of Democratic Institutions in Armenia,” John Prescott told A1+.

Secretary General of the Council of Europe Terry Devis is concerned over the recent events in Armenia following the Presidential election of February 19, 2008. He is also concerned about freedom of expression and the right to rallies in the country.