U.S. Helsinki Commission Armenia Hearing

Unzipped reports that the U.S. Helsinki Commission, a U.S. Government agency that monitors progress in the implementation of the provisions of the 1975 Helsinki Accords, will hold a hearing on the post-election situation in Armenia on 17 April. Testifying will be Matthew Bryza, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, and representatives of the current and first presidents, Serge Sargsyan and Levon Ter-Petrossian.

Since the February 19 presidential election, Armenia has experienced its most serious political crisis in over a decade. The March 1 confrontation between the authorities and supporters of the opposition resulted in at least eight fatalities and the imposition of a state of emergency, causing serious damage to Armenia’s reputation. Although Prime Minister Serzh Sarkissian has been elected President, some opposition leaders refuse to recognize the outcome and government opposition relations remain tense. The state of emergency has been lifted but restrictions on freedom of assembly continue in effect.

The hearing will focus on the ramifications of these developments for Armenia and the United States, especially the ongoing Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) negotiations on Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia’s qualifications for assistance from the Millennium Challenge Account.