EU Commissioner welcomes probe into 2008 crackdown in ArmeniaApril 10, 2019 - 17:44 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatović has unveiled the Annual activity report 2018 for Armenia. The Commissioner carried out a visit to Armenia from 15 to 20 September, focusing on women’s rights, gender equality and domestic violence, the human rights of disadvantaged and vulnerable groups, and questions related to accountability for past human rights violations. In the course of the visit, the Commissioner and her delegation met with various representatives of the authorities, members of civil society, political and legal experts, diplomats, as well as the Human Rights Defender (Ombudsman). In the report, the Commissioner welcomed the steps taken to establish responsibility for the ten deaths that occurred during the violent events of March 2008, Mijatović also stressed the importance of carrying out the process in full respect of the rule of law, judicial independence and the presumption of innocence of any person charged with criminal misconduct. Robert Kocharyan, who was the President of Armenia in 1998–2008, is accused of overthrowing the constitutional order and money laundering. The first case is related to the crackdown on peaceful protests against the results of the presidential election in March 2008. At the time, ten people were killed in clashes between protesters and the police, about 200 were injured. At the end of August 2018, the court released Kocharyan on bail but he was incarcerated again on December 7 of last year. Top stories The EU does not intend to conduct military exercises with Armenia, Lead Spokesperson for EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Peter Stano says. A telephone conversation between Putin and Pashinyan before the CSTO summit is not planned, Peskov says. London’s Armenian community has been left feeling “under attack” after the city’s Genocide monument was vandalised. The United States believes there should be an international mission to provide transparency. Partner news | Armenia: Opposition activist transferred to Investigative Committee Activist Samvel Vardanyan has been accused of insulting the lawmaker Hakob Aslanyan from the ruling Civil Contract party. Russia confirms start of withdrawal of peacekeepers from Karabakh The Kremlin has confirmed reports about the start of the withdrawal of Russian peacekeeping forces in Karabakh. France recalls its ambassador to Azerbaijan France on April 16 said it had recalled for consultations the French ambassador to Azerbaijan. Protesters rally as Georgia debates 'foreign agent' bill Georgian critics label the bill "the Russian law", comparing it to legislation used by the Kremlin to crack down on dissent. |