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On November 21 the Chair of the NA Standing Committee on Protection of Human Rights and Public Affairs Elinar Vardanyan met with the Rapporteur of the PACE Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights Mailis Reps. She visited the region with the Fact Finding Mission to prepare a report on the theme “The Strengthening of the Role of the Human Rights Defenders and Protection in the Member Countries of the Council of Europe.”

Elinar Vardanyan presented to the guest a series of problems relating to the protection of human rights in Armenia. She has noted that the Committee regularly meets with the NGOs, discusses the problems concerning them and, if necessary, recommends legislative amendments. Mrs Vardanyan touched upon the situation of human rights in the criminal-executive institutions and the arrested persons’ keeping places. She has underlined that there are especially problems connected with the detention. By the Committee Chair’s assessment, one of the main reasons is that the Institute of Bail is not established. Speaking about the problems of the protection of the human rights in the Armed Forces Mrs Vardanyan has informed the guest that in future parliamentary hearings will be organized on that theme jointly with the Committee. Mrs Vardanyan touched upon the bills “On Amending the RA Law on Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organizations” and “On Providing Equal Rights and Equal Opportunities for Women and Men.”

The sides also discussed the rise of the role of the women in the social and political life and a number of issues pertaining to the activities of the religious organizations.