OSCE, CE Welcomes Agreement on Rally Law

Following harsh criticism after changes to the law on rallies, demonstrations and marches, the OSCE and Council of Europe welcome agreement from the authorities to amend the controversial legislation. However, the changes may not be necessarily immediate if the press release from the OSCE is anything to go by.

“We see this agreement as another step in the long-standing cooperation between the Armenian authorities, the ODIHR and the Venice Commission on the legislative regulation of public assemblies”, said Ambassador Christian Strohal, ODIHR Director.

“The Venice Commission and the ODIHR look forward to receiving the drafts of the new amendments and stand ready to review them in light of relevant international standards”, said Gianni Buquicchio, General Secretary of the Venice Commission.

In a legal opinion published on 28 March, the ODIHR and the Venice Commission raised serious concerns about the amendments to the Law on Conducting Meetings, Assemblies, Rallies and Demonstrations which was passed shortly after the violent events of 1-2 March.

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It was agreed to repeal or change the amendments introduced to tighten provisions for peaceful assemblies, in particular with regard to spontaneous gatherings. These changes would bring the law closer to its original content, which had been assessed positively by the ODIHR and the Venice Commission.

Based on the agreement reached, new amendments will be drafted and submitted to ODIHR and the Venice Commission for another review. The ODIHR and Venice Commission experts suggested that sufficient time be allowed for public discussion of the amendments.