PACE Co-Rapporteurs to Visit Armenia Next Week, Mother of Mar. 1 Victim Wants to Meet with Them

John Prescott (United Kingdom, SOC) and Axel Fischer (Germany, EPP/CD), co-rapporteurs of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) for the monitoring of Armenia, will make a fact-finding visit to Yerevan on Jan. 16-17, according to a press release issued by PACE.

Talks are scheduled with Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, National Assembly Chair Samvel Nikoyan, RA Minister of Foreign Affairs Edward Nalbandian and Minister of Justice Hrayr Tovmasyan, as well as with Central Election Commission Chair Tigran Mukuchyan. The co-rapporteurs will also meet representatives of political parties and the judicial authorities, as well as NGOs and the Armenian delegation to the PACE.

Discussions will mainly focus on the follow-up to PACE Resolution 1837 (2011) – on the investigation into the ten casualties of the March 2008 events, the creation of an independent police complaints mechanism, and civilian oversight over the police – as well as on preparations for the 2012 parliamentary elections, and on the priority areas for the monitoring procedure.

Asked by local daily Haykakan Jamanak (“Armenian Times”) whether meetings with the families of Mar. 1 victims are planned, the Council of Europe’s Armenian office replied, “It’s not yet known.”

Alla Hovhannisyan, mother of Mar. 1 victim Tigran Khachatryan, told the opposition paper that yes, they will definitely be contacting the CoE office to request a meeting with the co-rapporteurs.

“But I don’t know, will they meet with us or not?” she said, recalling that during their last visit to the country, the co-rapporteurs didn’t meet with them, citing a shortage of time.