Tuesday, July 16 2019 17:38

ArmInfo.Representatives of the civil society of Armenia appealed to the authorities of the country with the requirement to publish all the information about the content  of the topics of the meetings discussed during the visit to Armenia  on May 30-31 of the current year by a high- ranking delegation of the  Council of Europe. Representatives of civil society came up with this  initiative after the leak of secret documents of the Venice  Commission on Armenia occurred in the media.

"We also need to contact the Venice Commission and ask for  information about who at the 119th session presented information on  the" uselessness and not usefulness "of the implementation of the"  venting "in Armenia and made it public. In addition, request the  Venice Commission to presented information about the situation with  the Constitutional Court and the election of Judge Vahe Grigorian at  the meeting of the Commission, and then made it public. Revise  relations with the Venice Commission in such a way as to clearly  represent the will of the people in post-revolutionary forms ", the  statement of civil society representatives reads.

The HELSINKI CITIZENS' ASSEMBLY VANADZOR OFFICE NGO, the Protection  of Rights without Borders NGO, the "Asparez" Journalists Club , the  Armenian Transparency International Anticorruption Center, and lawyer  Karen Tumanyan signed the statement.

It should be noted that a secret document about the full content of  the document on Armenia, adopted on the basis of the 119th plenary  session of the Venice Commission, held June 21-22 in Venice, leaked  to the network yesterday. The information caused a wide public  response. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Justice expressed bewilderment  at the fact how secret documents became public. The government  promised that the Prime Minister of Armenia will soon make a  statement on this situation.

The document stated: <Mr. Markert reminded that last  year a peaceful revolution took place in Armenia in accordance with  the norms of the Constitution. However, the judiciary was regarded by  many as corrupt and close to the previous government. After the  court's decision on the release on bail of the former President of  Armenia Robert Kocharyan on May 19, acting Prime Minister of Armenia  Nikol Pashinyan harshly criticized the courts and called on his  supporters to block the courthouse and renew the judicial system. The  head of the commission, in a letter addressed to the Prime Minister,  acknowledged that there was distrust in relation to the courts, but  he noted that any measures taken should be implemented in accordance  with the Constitution and international standards. At the invitation  of the Armenian authorities, a delegation of high-ranking officials  of the Council of Europe, headed by the Director General for Human  Rights and Rule of Law, as well as the Secretary of the Commission,  visited Armenia to discuss judicial reform. The parties agreed that a  universal vetting of acting judges is not useful and necessary.  Instead, disciplinary procedures should be strengthened and linked to  the income declaration system. For this, in the judicial code of  Armenia it is necessary to carry out changes until the end of July.  The Armenian authorities have expressed interest in receiving an  urgent conclusion of the Venice Commission on these amendments, but  have not yet made a formal request, as the amendments were not ready.  At its meeting, the Expanded Bureau authorized the preparation of an  urgent opinion. The Commission allowed to prepare an urgent opinion  on the reform of the judicial code of Armenia, which will be sent to  the requesting authorities before the October plenary session. The  Commission was also informed that the newly elected judge of the  Constitutional Court questioned the legality of 7 of the 9 judges  elected before the entry into force of the 2015 constitutional  amendments. According to him, they were elected members of the  Constitutional Court, and the new text mentions judges of the  Constitutional Court. The revised article 213 of the Constitution  nevertheless clearly and indisputably establishes that until the  entry into force of the constitutional amendments, the appointed head  and members of the Constitutional Court must continue to hold office  until the end of the term specified in the 2005 Constitution. It is  disturbing that this statement of the judge was welcomed by the  Parliament, and there is a threat of interference with the mandates  of the current judges. The Commission authorized  head of the Venice  Commission, J. Buquicchio, to follow developments around the issue  and, if necessary, to make a public statement".