Strasbourg, 13/03/2008 (Agence Europe) - The European Parliament calls on the Armenian authorities to lift the state of emergency, which was mitigated by a presidential decree on 10 March 2008, to restore media freedom and take all the measures necessary to ensure a return to normality.
In a common resolution by its main political groups (EPP-ED, PES, ALDE, UEN, Greens/EFA and GUE/NGL), adopted on Thursday 13 March in Strasbourg, the European Parliament expresses its concern at recent developments in Armenia, with the violent police crackdown on opposition demonstrations leading to the death of 8 citizens, including one police officer, with over 100 injured. The official results of the presidential election of 19 February 2008 in Armenia showed a first-round victory for Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian but were contested by one of the opposition leaders, Levon Ter-Petrosian.
MEPs call for a “prompt, thorough, transparent, independent and impartial investigation of the events of 1 March”, including an investigation of the police intervention during the dispersal of the demonstration, and for all those responsible to be brought to justice and punished for misconduct and criminal acts of violence. According to the European Parliament, the Armenian authorities must also release citizens detained for exercising their right of peaceful assembly.
The EP also calls on the European Commission to focus its assistance to Armenia (in the context of European neighbourhood policy) on the independence of the judiciary and the training of police and security forces. It reiterates the clear EU commitment to building closer ties with Armenia and the South Caucasus, notably by further developing and strengthening the neighbourhood policy. It underlines, however, that closer cooperation with the European Union must be based on “real and tangible progress and reforms, and a full commitment to democracy and the rule of law”. The Commission is invited to take further support efforts aimed at improving the political culture in Armenia, strengthening dialogue and defusing the high level of tension between governing parties and opposition. Finally, the Parliament deplores the recent loss of life “on the line of control” during fighting between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces, and calls on all sides to refrain from further violence and to return to the negotiating table. (L.C.)