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ARMENIA DAILY DIGEST
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From: Ina Iankulova (iiankulova@sorosny.org)
Date: Mon Apr 28 2003 - 11:57:39 EDT
ARMENIAN PRESIDENTIAL BODY REJECTS COURT'S CALLS TO ADDRESS ARRESTS OF OPPOSITION SUPPORTERS
A special presidential judicial oversight body rejected on 25 April the recommendations of Armenia's highest court to investigate the judicial sanctioning of the mass arrests of opposition activists and supporters in recent months, RFE/RL's Yerevan bureau reported. The Constitutional Court's recommendations stem from its recent ruling on a court challenge brought by failed opposition presidential candidate Stepan Demirchian, and call on the presidential Justice Council to investigate the mass arrests of opposition supporters, which the court said "contravene the European Convention on Human Rights." The ruling also asks the council to "consider punishing the judges who handed down rulings denounced as illegal by human rights groups." The 16-member Justice Council, empowered to both nominate and dismiss the vast majority of judges, rejected the Constitutional Court's ruling and contended that it is acting outside its constitutionally defined powers. The Justice Council added that it is not subject to orders or recommendations from the Constitutional Court. The defiance follows a similar incident last week when state prosecutors publicly rejected a Constitutional Court order to investigate reported instances of ballot-box stuffing and other voting irregularities. RG
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