ARMENIAN JUSTICE MINISTER SAYS DECISION TO REMOVE OPPOSITION MP FROM PACE DELEGATION IS “ACCEPTABLE”
October 03, 2013 | 13:12
YEREVAN. – Armenian speaker’s decision to remove opposition MP Zaruhi
Postanjyan from the delegation to PACE is acceptable, Justice Minister
told reporters.
Hrayr Tovmasyan said he did not want to comment on the specific
case, but the context in which the issue is viewed is important:
“If we view the incident as defamation and insult, the decision of
the speaker is acceptable.”
Earlier Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan decided to remove Zaruhi Postanjyan
from the delegation.
“The expression of a political view is not an absolute right. The
Constitution of Armenia envisions that an MP’s right to freely express
his or her opinion is limited by the impermissibility of insult or
libel. Also, the PACE Regulation contains a ban on using expressions
that violate human dignity.
Given NA MP Zaruhi Postanjyan’s demeanor yesterday during the PACE
session and based on Armenia’s law, I [hereby] declare that I have
consulted with the National Assembly factions and I intend to make
a change in Armenia’s delegation to PACE,” speaker Hovik Abrahamyan
said in a statement.
From: Baghdasarian