22/02/2013 | Monitoring
Jana Fischerová (Czech Republic, EDG) and Kerstin Lundgren (Sweden, ALDE), co-rapporteurs of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) who have been appointed to assess the request for the opening of a monitoring procedure in respect of Hungary – following a motion signed by 24 members of the Assembly in January 2011 – will make a fact-finding visit to Budapest on 25-27 February 2013.
22/02/2013 | Monitoring
Jana Fischerová (Czech Republic, EDG) and Kerstin Lundgren (Sweden, ALDE), co-rapporteurs of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) who have been appointed to assess the request for the opening of a monitoring procedure in respect of Hungary – following a motion signed by 24 members of the Assembly in January 2011 – will make a fact-finding visit to Budapest on 25-27 February 2013.
21/02/2013 | President
In the context of his official visit to Luxembourg, PACE President Jean-Claude Mignon, held an exchange of views with Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker on 19 February 2013. The discussion mainly concerned the current political situation and the contribution that parliamentary diplomacy can make to the solution of frozen conflicts.
21/02/2013 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights
“I firmly condemn Japan‘s execution of three prisoners on death row,” said Renate Wohlwend (Liechtenstein, EPP/CD), general rapporteur of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on the death penalty.
21/02/2013 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights
Pieter Omtzigt (Netherlands, EPP/CD), who is preparing a report on “Keeping political and criminal responsibility separate” for the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), has said that it is urgent to address the status of former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and former Interior Minister Yuri Lutsenko as ‘political prisoners’ within the meaning of the definition adopted by the Parliamentary Assembly in October 2012
21/02/2013 | Political Affairs and Democracy
“We are following the latest political developments in Tunisia, following the murder of Chokri Belaid, leader of one of the opposition parties two weeks ago, attentively and with great concern. I endorse the statement made on this subject by Jean-Claude Mignon, President of our Assembly, and I condemn this crime which is aimed at destabilising the democratic transition process in Tunisia,” said Anne Brasseur (Luxembourg, ALDE), PACE rapporteur on Tunisia.
19/02/2013 | Elections
Armenia’s presidential election was generally well-administered and was characterized by a respect for fundamental freedoms, including those of assembly and expression, concluded the international election observation mission in a statement released today. At the same time, a lack of impartiality on the part of the public administration and the misuse of administrative resources resulted in a blurring of the distinction between the activities of the state and those of the ruling party, the statement said.
18/02/2013 | President
“The Council of Europe Committee of Ministers missed a big chance to fight against the death penalty when it invited the United States to join the Venice Commission without first asking the US to re-open a constructive dialogue on ending executions,” said Renate Wohlwend (Liechtenstein, EPP/CD), General Rapporteur on the abolition of the death penalty for the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).
15/02/2013 | Political Affairs and Democracy
“The Iranian government should immediately and unconditionally release the Iranian Green Movement leaders, who have been held under arbitrary house arrest for exactly two years,” said Pietro Marcenaro (Italy, SOC), Chairperson of the PACE Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy.
15/02/2013 | President
Jean-Claude Mignon, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), will make an official visit to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg from 18 to 20 February 2013. On 19 February he is due to meet the President of the Chamber of Deputies Laurent Mosar, the Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker as well as the Minister of Justice François Biltgen.
15/02/2013 | Elections
The international election observation mission monitoring the presidential elections in Armenia will present its preliminary post-election statement at a press conference on Tuesday, 19 February, in Yerevan.
14/02/2013 | Elections
A 22-member delegation of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), led by Karin Woldseth (Norway, EDG), will travel to Armenia from 16 to 19 February to observe the conduct of the presidential election, alongside observers from, in particular, the European Parliament and the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR).