Dear members of the Permanent Monitoring Committee of PACE, In 2001, our country became amember of the Council of Europe. In 2002 it  joined the European Convention of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. During all this time, PACE has adopted numerous resolutions on Armenia. However, they have not contributed to the improvement of effective human rights protection in the country. Moreover, those resolutions and PACE structures including the Monitoring Committee, have not essentially contributed to the development of newly established democratic institutions in Armenia and to democracy in general. Proof of the above are the fraudulent and falsified presidential elections of 2008 and the illegal engagement of the army for intimidating and controlling peaceful protesters. This resulted in the death of 10 people, numerous others being wounded, hundreds of political dissidents  arrested and the detention several dozen others. After the tragic events of March 1-2, 2008, PACE has adopted 4 resolutions, among which #1609 has probably been the most impartial in recording the existing situation, and which mentions compulsory steps for the Armenian authorities to implement. However, during these two years PACE and its Monitoring Committee in fact did not make any practical steps for bringing to the life resolution #1609, as well as the three following three following resolutions. Nor did PACE rely to its authority and leverages of influence to contribute to comprehensive reveal and punishment of those guilty for March 1-2 events. Regrettably, PACE neglected publicly known facts. We are surprised and confused about application of double standards by PACE. We, the families of the victims of March 1-2, 2008 events, are indignant and protest the behavior of PACE Co-rapporteurs George Colombier and John Prescott. Particularly, it is unclear and unacceptable for us their announcement made on February 2, 2010 and posted on the official website of the CoE. What does it mean “The Armenian authorities need to implement the reforms recommended by the ad hoc Committee of the National Assembly of Armenia on the events of 1 and 2 March 2008, without further delay,”? Or what does it mean that “The reforms recommended by the ad hoc Committee, in combination with those contained in the relevant PACE resolutions, if implemented in good faith, could comprehensively address the circumstances that led to the events of 1 and 2 March 2008,”? During these two years time, the justice system and authorities of Armenia have been unable to find murderers of our children, and now, should we wait for reforms …? PACE officials, especially Mr. Prescott and Mr. Colombier,  are well aware that the Armenian authorities are deliberately not revealing those responsible for tragic events of March 1-2, 2008. In the document prepared by co-rapporteurs (AS/Mon (2009) 38), article 41, they are pointing out that there is an impression that Armenia’s ad hoc parliamentary committee censors itself and tries by all means to avoid openly discrediting the official version of the authorities, which is regrettable and casts doubt over the whole investigation. Thus, Mr. Prescott and Mr. Colombier contradict themselves, on one hand by announcing that investigation of the ad hoc parliamentary committee has not been fair and the murders have not been revealed up to day, and on the other hand, by demanding a reform schedule from another parliamentary committee and the Chairman of the National Assembly and expecting that such a process can be successful. Judicial reform has been underway in Armenia since 1998. Overall, Armenian legislation is in line with CoE standards. In order to have the guilty for March 1-2 crimes revealed, elections not falsified, freedom of speech not limited and political dissents not persecuted, it is also necessary that high rank officials of PACE express timely, impartial and adequate assessments that Armenian authorities are failing to fulfill their obligations to the CoE. The crimes of March 1-2 happened not because of bad legislation or slow reforms, but among others, as a consequence of actual inaction of PACE and its “one step forward” assessments continuously given to incumbent authorities about their fulfillment of obligations to the CoE. Armenia’s obligations towards the Council of Europe were last discussed at the summer session of 2009. Afterwards, due to inactivity and indifference of the co-rapporteurs, Armenian authorities started to claim publicly, that the March 1 page is closed… We have an impression that among those who back this statement aiming to cover murders of our children, are Mr. Prescott and Mr. Colombier, who did not participate in the December 17, 2008 Session of the Monitoring Committee and therefore, the document they had prepared was never presented and discussed at this session. Later, during discussions at the January 27-28, 2010 session of the Monitoring Committee, the February 2 statement appeared, regarding reform schedule and political prisoner Nikol Pashinyan. And where did demands to the Armenian government disappear? I.e. why is a proper investigation not carried out to reveal crimes of March 1-2? Why haven't those guilty for illegally using armed forces for the oppression of the peaceful demonstration been punished? One of those killed, Tigran Abgaryan, was doing his military service. Why hasn't a comprehensive investigation to reveal how and with whose order had he appeared in the central streets of Yerevan been carried out -  who ordered him, an ordinary soldier, to be transferred from his military unit to the centre of the capital? There are numerous video records of how Armenian armed forces were being transported to the central streets of Yerevan before March 1 and after the emergency situation. There is also the executive order of then president Robert Kocharyan concerning the emergency situation, where he mentions that the Ministry of Defense is among the implementers and servers of the emergency situation. “We have to use the opportunity of the army…” President Kocharyan said these words on March 1, 2008, during his midnight meeting with journalists… Isn’t PACE interested in these facts? If so, why are the PACE Co-rapporteurs neglecting them? With the knowledge of PACE, the fact finding group was closed, while the latter put some light over true circumstances of March 1-2 murders and events. With the knowledge of PACE, the ARF representative Armen Roostamyan was involved in the Monitoring Committee as an opposition deputy, while his party, being part of the government, actually shares the responsibility for March 1-2 tragic events and for building an authoritarian regime in our country. During the last 10 years, the ARF has been part of the government and has supported former president Kocharyan. Only recently did this party claim itself an opposition and officially announced that they are withdrawing from the government coalition because of disagreement in foreign policy issues. We are aware that on March 12, 2010 during the meeting session of Permanent Committee in Paris the period of authorization of the Co-rapporteurs is going to be discussed. Thus, we urge you to include in your discussions the issues raised in this appeal. We want to believe that in its actions and assessments PACE will indeed be the conscience of democratic Europe. Dear members of PACE Monitoring Committee, Taking into account the above mentioned and wishing to present our demands and comments in more details, we would appreciate a meeting with co-rapporteurs for Armenia, George Colombier and John Prescott, during their next visit to Armenia. We believe that this meeting is absolutely necessary and we strongly insist on it. We assume, that at least in this issue, the Monitoring Committee should be interested as well. Sincerely, Families of victims of March 1-2, 2008 criminal events