Members of armed group may avoid conviction on two offenses – Armenian prosecutor general
29.07.2016,
13:50
The members of the armed group that seized a police regiment’s territory in Yerevan may avoid conviction on two offenses – the seizure of buildings and the hostage-taking, Gevorg Kostanyan, Armenian prosecutor general, said Thursday in an interview with Shant TV Channel.
YEREVAN, July 29. /ARKA/. The members of the armed group that seized a police regiment’s territory in Yerevan may avoid conviction on two offenses – the seizure of buildings and the hostage-taking, Gevorg Kostanyan, Armenian prosecutor general, said Thursday in an interview with Shant TV Channel.
In his words, they will be convicted only for illegal possession of weapon, since the law gives room for exempting offenders from responsibility, if hostage takers release hostages and leave seized buildings voluntarily and if their actions contain no other elements of crime.
However, the killing of a policeman must be investigated.
“We have not instituted criminal proceedings in homicide,” Kostanyan said in his televised interview. “When we find out who killed the policeman, he will be prosecuted.”
Along with that, he said that it is still impossible to indicate all the charges to be put forward, since the members of the group are committing new offenses.
Besides, he added, paramedics’ status is not known yet.
Sasna Dzrer armed group stormed the police regiment territory and seized it on July 17. The group took some officers hostage, demanding the release of Zhirayr Sefilian, the jailed opposition leader of Founding Parliament movement, and the resignation of the president.
According to the police, one police officer had been killed and five others and one attacker wounded in the assault.
Hundreds of people gathered outside the territory to bar the law enforcement units from storming the building and to prevent а bloody outcome.
The police units cleaned up the territory of demonstrators Wednesday night and detained dozens of people.
As many as 51 people injured in the clashes, including 28 policemen, received medical services that night. On the next day people gathered again.
All the hostages have gradually been released by the rebels.
Thousands of people took to the streets on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday in Yerevan and marched demanding the release of Zhirair Sefilian and the resignation of the president.
Tuesday night the Sasna Dzrer leader Pavel Manukyan and his son Aram were wounded by the police and they are now in a hospital under intensive care. One policeman was wounded as well. --0----
In his words, they will be convicted only for illegal possession of weapon, since the law gives room for exempting offenders from responsibility, if hostage takers release hostages and leave seized buildings voluntarily and if their actions contain no other elements of crime.
However, the killing of a policeman must be investigated.
“We have not instituted criminal proceedings in homicide,” Kostanyan said in his televised interview. “When we find out who killed the policeman, he will be prosecuted.”
Along with that, he said that it is still impossible to indicate all the charges to be put forward, since the members of the group are committing new offenses.
Besides, he added, paramedics’ status is not known yet.
Sasna Dzrer armed group stormed the police regiment territory and seized it on July 17. The group took some officers hostage, demanding the release of Zhirayr Sefilian, the jailed opposition leader of Founding Parliament movement, and the resignation of the president.
According to the police, one police officer had been killed and five others and one attacker wounded in the assault.
Hundreds of people gathered outside the territory to bar the law enforcement units from storming the building and to prevent а bloody outcome.
The police units cleaned up the territory of demonstrators Wednesday night and detained dozens of people.
As many as 51 people injured in the clashes, including 28 policemen, received medical services that night. On the next day people gathered again.
All the hostages have gradually been released by the rebels.
Thousands of people took to the streets on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday in Yerevan and marched demanding the release of Zhirair Sefilian and the resignation of the president.
Tuesday night the Sasna Dzrer leader Pavel Manukyan and his son Aram were wounded by the police and they are now in a hospital under intensive care. One policeman was wounded as well. --0----
