STRASBOURG, JANUARY 28, NOYAN TAPAN. The PACE made a decision not to suspend the voting rights of the Armenian delegation at this stage, considering recent initiatives of Armenian authorities as a sign of their willingness to implement the requirements of PACE Resolutions 1609 and 1620. In Resolution 1643 passed by it, the PACE expresses discontent and serious concern about the state of those imprisoned in connection with the March 1-2 events in Yerevan. Nevertheless, the PACE believes that the number of pardons granted by Armenian president Serzh Sargsyan (28 to date), the latest initiative of the National Assembly of Armenia to amend the RA Criminal Code's Articles 225 and 300 (about mass disorder and usurpation of state power) in line with Council of Europe standards within two months, as well as the positive steps taken for conducting 3 independent, transparent and reliable inquiries show that the Armenian authorities are ready to implement the demands of the PACE. The PACE also expressed concern about those who were imprisoned for political motivation after events of March 1-2, 2008, and called on Armenian authorities to continue releasing them by using other legal means, including pardon and withdrawal of charges. The PACE also proposed that the PACE Monitoring Committee should examine, prior to the April session, progress made by the Armenian authorities in terms of application of the previous resolutions, and based on the situation, the Monitoring Committee should suggest futhur steps to be taken by the PACE.

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