III Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)
| Author | Arie Bloed |
| Published date | 01 June 2009 |
| DOI | 10.1177/016934410902700207 |
| Date | 01 June 2009 |
| Subject Matter | Part B: Human Rights News |
260 Intersentia
III ORGANIZATION FOR SECURITY AND
COOPERATION IN EUROPE (OSCE)
A B*
1. ARMENIA HAS HARD TIME IN THE PARLIAMENTARY
ASSEMBLY
In January, it looked like Armenia would be suspended from its membership of the
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) because of its refusal
to release dozens of oppositional activists who were detained a er the turbulent
presidential elections in Februa ry last year. ose elec tions triggered massive protests
in the streets of Yerevan which only ended a er a violent crackdown by t he authorities
which resulted in massive arrests of leaders of the opposition. In spite of numerous
e orts by the Council of Europe and its PACE, the Armenian authorities refusal to
release these politica l prisoners continues, as the government accuses them of e orts
to commit a coup.
Twice in 2008, the PACE adopted resolutions, calling on the Ar menian authorities
to release all opposition members who have been arrested on ‘seemingly arti cial
and politically motivated charges’ and to allow an independent inquiry into the
bloody clashes on 1 March last year. ey threatened to suspend the voting rights
of the Armenian PACE members, if the Armenian authorities would not yield to its
demands. Yerevan remained rm and refused to release the imprisoned opposition
members, instead continued organising mass trials against them. In December,
the PACE Monitoring Committee then nally o cially referred to the Armenian
detainees as ‘polit ical prisoners’, a term which so far had been reserved for pris oners in
neighbour ing Azerbaija n only. is is a hig hly embarrassing development for a small
country like Armenia, seriously a ecting its international reputation. e fact that
the authorities refused to yield may be interpreted as re ecting a feeling of political
uncertaint y about the future of the people in power in case leadi ng opposition gures
would be set free.
Nevertheless, at the end of the day the Armenians escaped losing their voting
rights, as PACE decided to give three more months to the Armenian authorities to
* Director of the Asia-Paci c Law Enforc ement Institute, Bang kok, ailand.
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