Armenia’s Speaker asks counterparts to oppose European sanctions

Rapporteurs make last visit to Yerevan ahead of PACE’s plenary session

by Tatul Hakobyan

Published: Saturday January 17, 2009

PACE co-rapporteurs John Prescott and George Colombier in Yerevan, Jan. 15, 2008. Photolure

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Yerevan - Armenian officials are taking steps to avoid, in the winter session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), the adoption of a resolution approved by the assembly's Monitoring Committee, declaring that Armenia is holding political prisoners and suspending the Armenian delegation's vote at the assembly. The session is scheduled for January 26-30.

PACE co-rapporteurs John Prescott and George Colombier were in Yerevan January 14-16 to speak to officials one last time before the assembly's winter session. Earlier, Hovik Abrahamian, Speaker of the National Assembly, sent letters to his counterparts in the member-states of the Council of Europe, asking them to do everything in their power so that their countries do not vote in favor of denying Armenia its voting rights at PACE. Mr. Abrahamian characterized the adoption of the resolution as extremely detrimental, adding that it would, if adopted, "fundamentally endanger Armenia's domestic stability."

Mr. Abrahamian said the recommended sanctions were "extreme and disproportionate," stressing that "it will have an additional and serious pressure on Armenia's economy, decreasing foreign investor confidence, which is unfair especially against a country that is in a blockade and taking into consideration the conditions of the global financial crisis."

The Speaker's letter signals a break from recent defiant announcements by leading members of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia, of which Mr. Abrahamian and President Serge Sargsian are members. The letter indicates that Armenian officials realize that Armenia will have to face undesirable diplomatic, political, and economic consequences if its delegation is denied its voting rights. Moreover, it indicates that Armenia is working with individual countries, especially countries that are considered friendly, to avoid punishment through the assistance of members of parliament.

President Sargsian's office announced this week that he had pardoned nine people convicted in connection to the events of March 1. He had pardoned another three people earlier. "The president of the republic decided to sign the decree to pardon, taking into consideration the pardon request sent to him by the accused, and also for reasons of family and health [of the accused]," the decree read.

Members of the opposition, however, criticized Mr. Sargsian's actions, claiming that Armenia is fulfilling the demands of the Council of Europe only to show Mr. Prescott and Mr. Colombier that Armenia is fulfilling the demands of the Council of Europe.

The office of the opposition Armenian National Congress acknowledged that seven of the nine pardoned were connected with the opposition.

One of the four member parties of the governing coalition, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, has repeatedly urged the president to grant a general amnesty to those accused of organizing mass unrest on March 1. (See the Armenian Reporter's interview with ARF leader Armen Rustamian.) Mr. Sargsian, in a conversation with the Armenian Reporter on December 23, ruled out an amnesty.

Prior to the visit of Mr. Prescott and Mr. Colombier, about 40 prisoners - including some who are not characterized by the Monitoring Committee as political prisoners - wrote an open letter. In the letter, the prisoners accused Mr. Prescott of being in cahoots with the Armenian authorities. They claimed that officials "extracted requests for pardons from our friends through means of torture" and noted that nine people "were ‘magnanimously' pardoned prior to your visit."

"You have come once again, to take that ‘fact' to the upcoming session of PACE to ‘show that there has been fundamental progress.' As far as we can tell, you have no role other than to protect the usurpers of power from punishment and once again to extend our incarceration," the prisoners wrote to Mr. Prescott and Mr. Colombier.

Meanwhile, on January 16, the court hearing the Trial of Seven convened for a few minutes. As the defendants once again declined to rise when the judge entered, the judge postponed the trial - for the sixth time.