Armenian parliament passes ‘unprecedented’ amnesty bill
31.10.2018,
15:33
An extraordinary session of the National Assembly of Armenia adopted today in the first reading a bill on granting the largest ever amnesty in the history of the country.
YEREVAN, October 31 /ARKA/. An extraordinary session of the National Assembly of Armenia adopted today in the first reading a bill on granting the largest ever amnesty in the history of the country. The bill was backed by 72 lawmakers.
The acting Minister of Justice Artak Zeynalyan said the amnesty will be granted to several groups of convicts, including persons, sentenced to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years, persons sentenced to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six years, who are with disabilities.
The amnesty will also extend to imprisoned pregnant women, those who are parents of three or more children or parents of a child under three years of age. The amnesty will also apply to persons over the age of 60 who committed first time crime under the age of 18.
This amnesty will be granted also to persons who committed a crime through negligence and who face up to five years of imprisonment, as well as to persons who are accused or suspected of committing crimes that do not provide for imprisonment.
The amnesty will also be extended to members of the armed group Sasna Tsrer, who seized a police station in downtown Yerevan in summer 2016, as well as to members of the Founding Parliament organization, who were convicted of preparing mass protests in April 2015 led by Zhirayr Sefilyan.
The amnesty bill not apply to persons who committed serious crimes, to those who were engaged in trafficking in persons, who prevented the professional activities of journalists, betrayed the state, committed terrorist acts and sabotage and a number of other serious crimes.
Of the 2,888 convicts in Armenian prisons, 270 will be set free, or about 15%; for another 396 the rest of the prison term will be eliminated. Overall, the amnesty will effect more than 660 convicts. The amnesty will be extended also to another 2,720 persons sentenced to probation punishment. It will also be applied to 1,096 out of 6,140 criminal cases being investigated by the Investigation Committee. The total number of persons to be granted amnesty is 6,500.
As for those sentenced to life imprisonment, Zeynalyan said an individual approach will be demonstrated, since the ministry does not have the right to revise the sentences handed down.
There are 93 people sentenced to life imprisonment in the country. The second hearing of the bill is slated for November 1. -0-
The acting Minister of Justice Artak Zeynalyan said the amnesty will be granted to several groups of convicts, including persons, sentenced to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years, persons sentenced to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six years, who are with disabilities.
The amnesty will also extend to imprisoned pregnant women, those who are parents of three or more children or parents of a child under three years of age. The amnesty will also apply to persons over the age of 60 who committed first time crime under the age of 18.
This amnesty will be granted also to persons who committed a crime through negligence and who face up to five years of imprisonment, as well as to persons who are accused or suspected of committing crimes that do not provide for imprisonment.
The amnesty will also be extended to members of the armed group Sasna Tsrer, who seized a police station in downtown Yerevan in summer 2016, as well as to members of the Founding Parliament organization, who were convicted of preparing mass protests in April 2015 led by Zhirayr Sefilyan.
The amnesty bill not apply to persons who committed serious crimes, to those who were engaged in trafficking in persons, who prevented the professional activities of journalists, betrayed the state, committed terrorist acts and sabotage and a number of other serious crimes.
Of the 2,888 convicts in Armenian prisons, 270 will be set free, or about 15%; for another 396 the rest of the prison term will be eliminated. Overall, the amnesty will effect more than 660 convicts. The amnesty will be extended also to another 2,720 persons sentenced to probation punishment. It will also be applied to 1,096 out of 6,140 criminal cases being investigated by the Investigation Committee. The total number of persons to be granted amnesty is 6,500.
As for those sentenced to life imprisonment, Zeynalyan said an individual approach will be demonstrated, since the ministry does not have the right to revise the sentences handed down.
There are 93 people sentenced to life imprisonment in the country. The second hearing of the bill is slated for November 1. -0-
