The launching event organised on 28 April in Yerevan, marked the official start of the Project “Support to the effective execution of the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights in Armenia", that is funded by Human Rights Trust Fund and implemented under the Council of Europe Action Plan for Armenia for 2023-2026.

The Project is a part of the continuous endeavour of the Council of Europe to support Armenia in the effective implementation of the European human rights standards with a specific focus on the problem of excessive length of proceedings, late or non-execution of national courts’ judgments, effective judicial control over the pre-trial stage of the proceedings, right to freedom of assembly, and effective investigations into allegations of ill-treatment and deprivation of life. The Project will support execution of general measures deriving from the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights through legislative, methodological and capacity-building assistance.  The Project’s action is also aligned with and aims at supporting the implementation of several priorities of the National Strategy for Human Rights Protection for 2020-2025 and Strategy on Judicial and Legal Reforms for 2022-2026.

The Project will focus on accomplishing the following outcomes: 
•    The national legislation and practice regarding the pre-trial detention, effective investigations of the alleged deprivation of life and ill-treatment, as well as freedom of assembly cases are further revised and aligned with the European standards.
•    The execution of the national courts decisions is improved in line with the Council of Europe standards.
•    National authorities’ efforts on overseeing the execution of the European Court of Human Rights judgments are further enhanced and coordinated.

The launching event brought together over 50 beneficiaries and project partners, including high-level national officials representing the Court of Cassation, Huma Rights Defender՝s Office, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Office of the Representative of Armenia on International Legal Matters, Office of the Prosecutor General, Justice Academy, Investigative Committee, Chamber of Advocates, and many others. The event was attended by H.E. Andrea WIKTORIN, Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Armenia, Ambassador and H.E. Nico SCHERMERS, Ambassador, Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, as well as by representatives of other international organisations.
 

Article 11 of the ECHR enshrines the right of everyone to freedom of peaceful assembly and to freedom of association.  No restrictions shall be placed on the exercise of these rights other than such as prescribed by law and necessary in a democratic society in the interests of national security or public safety.

To implement this right, the Council of Europe provided expert support for preparing the new draft law on “Police Guard" and introducing relevant amendments in a number of associated legal acts. The new draft law was approved by the Government of Armenia on 2 May.

On 16-17 May, the Council of Europe in cooperation with the Ministry of Internal Affairs organised a round table discussion (RTD) on the new draft law with the members of the National Assembly, with the focus on the right to freedom of peaceful assembly. Notably, in the leading case under enhanced supervision of the Committee of Ministers, Mushegh Saghatelyan v. Armenia, as well as other judgements from this group of cases, the European Court found disproportionate and unnecessary dispersal of the peaceful protests and related detention, prosecution and convictions of activists, as well as lack of effective domestic remedy for grievances under Article 11 of the ECHR. The judgements reveal deficiencies in safeguarding the right to peaceful assembly within the national legal framework. Acknowledging the pressing need for reforms, it is essential to harmonise national legislation and practices with European standards.

The discussion was important in the overall process of elaboration of the new draft law, providing a platform for constructive dialogue, issue resolution, and the exchange of perspectives and proposals, before the hearings at the National Assembly. The Council of Europe places immense value on the cooperation with the National Assembly, recognising its role in adopting legal acts and ensuring the sustainability of results.

The event was organised by the Project “Support to the effective execution of the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights in Armenia”, funded by Human Rights Trust Fund and implemented in the framework of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Armenia for 2023-2026.