Armenia yesterday earned a brief reprieve from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) when a resolution to impose sanctions was voted down by a large margin following promises to make amendments to the Criminal Code. The two articles in question refer to attempts to “usurp state authority by force” and organize “mass disturbances,” charges made against dozens of activists and leaders following clashes between the opposition and security forces in the immediate aftermath of last year’s controversial presidential election.

Today marks the 20th anniversary of the 1988 earthquake which devastated much of northern Armenia leaving 25,000 dead and many more homeless. Despite huge amounts of foreign aid flooding into the country after the tragedy, poverty in the second largest city of Gyumri remains high and thousands remain without homes leading Unzipped to agree that the past two decades were “20 years of empty promises.”