Implementation of European Court of Human Rights Armenia judgments focus of OSCE-supported conference

YEREVAN, 27 May 2011 – The execution of the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) on Armenia, as analysed in an OSCE-supported report, is the focus of an international conference in Yerevan today. The report presents the findings of a monitoring exercise implemented by the Chamber of Advocates with the support of the OSCE Office in Yerevan.

The event is organized by the OSCE Office in Yerevan and the Armenian Chamber of Advocates in co-operation with the Council of Europe and the Armenian Constitutional Court.

"As the OSCE is assisting Armenia in strengthening the rule of law in line with its commitments this first study of the execution of the Court’s judgements is of prime importance, not only for the individual cases concerned but for Armenia’s legal development," said Carel Hofstra, the Deputy Head of the OSCE Office. “The report contains clear descriptions of the cases and recommendations for the action needed to implement the Court’s decisions.”

Gagik Harutyunyan, the Chairman of the Armenian Constitutional Court, said: “The ultimate goal of our work is the human being. The State is obliged to ensure and guarantee people’s rights. The European Court of Human Rights can effectively fulfill its mission only when national structures function efficiently. Even one violation points to problems that need to be addressed”.

The study attempted to review the state and progress of implementation of judgments, examined the conformity of national proceedings for re-opening court cases with the provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights, indentified legislative and institutional shortcomings and provided recommendations for further improvements. The study includes ECtHR decisions against Armenia until December 2010, totaling 25 judgments.

Representatives of executive, legislative and judicial authorities, an Armenian judge at the ECtHR, international and local experts, members of the Chamber of Advocates, as well as civil society representatives participated in the event.

Artak Zeinalyan, a member of the expert group that drafted the report said, said: “Brief descriptions of the factual data related to the judgments of ECtHR against Armenia, the actual Court judgments  as well as the current stage of the supervision by the CoE Committee of Ministers of the implementation of the judgments concerned are presented in a single publication. Considering the inadequate state of implementing ECtHR judgments, it is necessary to continuously improve Armenian legislation, implement training programmes and address various factors hindering the full implementation of judgments”.

For more information please contact Gayane Ter-Stepanyan, Senior Assistant on Press and Public Information of the OSCE Office in Yerevan, tel.: 229610/11/12, ext. 5407, cel. 091 012603.