VENICE COMMISSION AND OSCE/ODIHR HAVE SERIOUS CONCERNS ABOUT AMENDMENTS MADE TO RA LAW ON "CONDUCTING MEETINGS, ASSEMBLIES, MARCHES AND DEMONSTRATIONS"

Noyan Tapan
April 3

YEREVAN, APRIL 3, NOYAN TAPAN. In a joint legal opinion, the Council
of Europe’s Venice Commission and the OSCE’s Office for Democratic
Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) concluded that recent amendments
to the RA Law on "Conducting meetings, assemblies, marches and
demonstrations" raise serious concerns.

According to the message provided to Noyan Tapan by the OSCE Yerevan
Office, the amendments to the given Law passed on March 17, were
reviewed by the ODIHR’s Expert Panel on Freedom of Assembly and the
Venice Commission following a request from the Speaker of the Armenian
National Assembly.

"On the basis of a preliminary assessment, the Venice Commission and
the OSCE/ODIHR Expert Panel on Freedom of Assembly do not consider
the proposed amendments to be acceptable, to the extent that they
restrict further the right of assembly in a significant fashion,"
says the joint paper.

Thus the amendments tighten provisions concerning spontaneous
assemblies, and limit the possibility for decisions on restricting
assemblies deemed to pose a risk for public order to be reviewed by
an independent tribunal or court. In addition, a provision allowing
for small events to develop spontaneously into bigger assemblies –
which was considered a good practice example and made the Law in its
previous form stand out as progressive – has been repealed.

The joint opinion of the Venice Commission and the OSCE/ODIHR was
shared with the National Assembly on March 28, and will be discussed
with National Assembly representatives in Yerevan on April 15 and 16.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress