On Friday, June 21, 2024, the Faculty of Law hosted a unique lecture by Armenian Judge of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), Armen Harutyunyan. The lecture, titled “Current Metamorphoses of the Political Regimes of the Member States of the Council of Europe and Coping Mechanisms of the Strasbourg Court” provided an in-depth look into the environment and activities of the ECHR, as well as the contemporary challenges it faces. Particularly intriguing was the discussion on the European Convention on Human Rights, focusing on Articles 17 and 18, which address the prohibition of rights abuse and limitations on the exercise of rights. These articles are often invoked against states like Russia (only until 2022), Azerbaijan, and Turkey, known for such rights violations, serving as a preliminary or final warning against these abuses.
The lecture also included an exploration of Armenia's history, effectively illustrating the transformation of political regimes. This lecture connected with Monday's public lecture by prof. Helena Hofmannová on “Methodology of Constitutional and Political Science in Studying Authoritarian Regimes“. The historical development of Armenia provides a lens through which to view political regime changes, highlighting that adopting government forms post-Iron Curtain by various post-Soviet states did not always lead to the creation of stable democratic states. The fact that certain power structures work in one country does not automatically guarantee their effectiveness elsewhere.
The concluding debate generated numerous insights related to the lecture, including evaluations of Soviet and post-Soviet developments in Armenia, its resistance to Russian influence, potential constitutional changes that could aid the country's democratization, and comparisons of how Armenia and the Czech Republic are dealing with contemporary Russian influence.
We thank Mr. Armen Harutyunyan for the very interesting lecture and extend our gratitude to all attendees. We look forward to future meetings!
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