March 1, 2008 - 19:08 AMT
CoE Secretary General concerned over situation in Armenia
Council of Europe Secretary General Terry Davis stated today that he is "very concerned about reports of injuries during the security forces operation to disperse protesters in Yerevan this morning".
"If these reports are confirmed, all allegations of excessive force should be properly investigated. It is also vital to prevent any further violence. I am also alarmed by the reports that the runner-up in the recent presidential elections, former President Levon Ter-Petrosyan, has been put under house arrest. If this is true, he should be immediately released. If he is accused of committing a crime, he should be properly charged and prosecuted in a court of law like anyone else. In a democracy you cannot arbitrarily detain political opponents", CoE Secretary General stated.