Better ban rallies than let people get killed: Armenian politician
“It is better to ban rallies than let people get killed,” Armenian MP (ruling Republican Party) Rafik Petrosyan stated at a press conference in Yerevan on March 24. In his words, if Armenian parliament did not approve amendments to the law on rallies, processions, and demonstrations, the turmoil in the country would persist.
Commenting on the legislation provision according to which all rallies will be prohibited until all participants and facts of preceding riots are established, Rafik Petrosyan argued that the restrictive norm would be in effect for no longer than three months. Mr Petrosyan also noted that, even before the amendments to the legislation draft were approved, the draft “was signed under by representatives of the former opposition” (The Orinats Yerkir Party – REGNUM).
Petrosyan's opponent, MP from the Heritage opposition faction Larisa Alaverdyan stated that the amended law contradicted to all international norms defining human rights and freedoms. Alaverdyan claimed that, instead of looking for the ways of establishing dialog during the 20 days of the state of emergency in Yerevan, the authorities used the time to develop the legislation draft.
According to Alaverdyan, the legislation is of a contextual character and is not aimed at solving key issues. She claims that the amendments were adopted by Armenian parliament with violation of rules of procedure, for the deputies read the draft no earlier than the day of the extraordinary session.
To remind, on March 18, acting president of Armenia Robert Kocharyan signed a bill amending the law “On Holding Gatherings, Rallies, Processions, and Demonstrations.”
The amendments provide that a responsible agency can reject an applicant to hold a rally if the agency has obtained reliable information about the planned event's being targeted at overthrowing a constitutional order, inciting racial, ethnic, or religious hatred, propagating violence and war, or threatening national security, public order, morality and health of the people.
According to another amendment, official conclusions of the police and National Security Service can be regarded as such reliable data. Amendments also stipulate that in cases when public actions have transformed into civil disorders, leading to death of people, a responsible agency, in order to halt the crimes and prevent their happening again, has a right to temporarily ban organization of mass public events until all facts and persons who have committed crimes are established.
According to the amendments, a responsible agency is supposed to examine an application for an event to be held for 72 hours, and applications for holding a public event are to be submitted five days before the event date.
18:24 03/24/2008
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