The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe(PACE) in Strasbourg earlier this month adopted a draft resolution entitled “Progress in the Assembly’s monitoring procedure” that contains provisions concerning Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Regarding Armenia:

“The Assembly regrets the excessive polarisation and stigmatisation of political opponents by all sides in Armenia. It is deeply concerned by the tensions between the Prime Minister and the head of the Armenian Church, and by the reports of plots to usurp power by several clergymen belonging to the Armenian Apostolic Church.”

In the draft resolution, while PACE reaffirms that the three elections held since 2018 have been free from serious irregularities, it adds the following.

“The Assembly reiterates the need to implement regulations on the misuse of public resources and the financing of political parties. Ahead of the June 2026 general elections, the Assembly calls for an improvement in relations between the political majority and the opposition, in order to ensure that the election campaign is issue- and policy-driven, and free from personal attacks between election contestants.”

The Assembly also notes Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s intention to hold a constitutional referendum in Armenia after the June 2026 parliamentary elections.

Regarding Azerbaijan, the Assembly continues to express serious concern at the further deterioration of the human rights situation in that country and the increase in the number of politically motivated detainees.

The body calls on Baku to “end retaliatory criminal prosecutions and immediately release all those detained on politically motivated charges, including the 23 Armenian detainees.”

 Photo: Reuters