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On November 4, the members of the RA NA Standing Committee on Protection of Human Rights and Public Affairs met with the co-rapporteurs of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) for the monitoring of obligations and commitments by Armenia Kimmo Kiljunen and Boriana Åberg.

The Committee Chair Taguhi Tovmasyan touched upon the human rights in the post-war period, noting that dozens of thousands of people were deprived of their houses as a consequence of 44-day war unleashed by Azerbaijan. More precisely, 38154 citizens have no houses at all. 15.000 citizens out of them, live in Stepanakert, 5000 citizens – in other regions of Artsakh, but the majority – with rent. 75% of the agricultural lands, which cultivated the villagers, also remained under the Azerbaijani control. The situation is also regarding the waterlines. The Armenian side lost 2000 monuments as a consequence of war, and now they are in danger. Azerbaijan consistently destroys them. 127 school libraries also were left. in the regions passed under control of Azerbaijan. Besides Artsakh, the residents of the border regions of Armenia also suffered because of war: the Azerbaijanis regularly steal domestic animals and burn the grass.

During the meeting Taguhi Tovmasyan voiced about the incident happened in the NA Session Hall, when the MP was forcibly driven out of the hall for expressing his/her opinion.

The Committee Chair also touched upon a number of legislative amendments concerning the mass media. To her observation, we shall fight against disinformation and speech of hatred on the internet, but in a way that the decent media will not suffer. The move and the rights of the journalists accredited ion parliament were also restricted, the Committee Chair said. Taguhi Tovmasyan particularly noted that recently violence was committed against the journalists during the incident in the NA Session Hall, where they were carrying out their professional activities. In relation to the journalists’ move, the co-rapporteurs have clarified that there are such restrictions in their countries, too. “There are debates which should be behind closed doors,” Kimmo Kiljunen particularly said.

The Committee members referred to the post-war situation, voiced about the necessity of returning prisoners of war and other persons kept in Azerbaijan to the Motherland. The MPs highlighted the support of the international structures in this issue. It has been noted that there is no distinct information about the number of prisoners of war and other kept persons. The co-rapporteur Boriana Åberg has underlined that the problem of prisoners of war is also very important for them, and they will use every occasion to solve the issue of their return.