17 PRISONERS SENTENCED TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT GO ON TERMLESS HUNGER STRIKE

Noyan Tapan
May 03 2007

YEREVAN, MAY 3, NOYAN TAPAN. 17 prisoners of the "Nubarashen" prison,
who were sentenced to life imprisonment, went on termless hunger
strike on May 2.

They demand a meeting with the RA prime minister Serge Sargsian,
representative of the Council of Europe Yelena Orumova, representatives
of the OSCE Office and the Helsinki Association. They also consider
the presence of reporters at this meeting as mandatory.

"We protest against the presidenial decree on unfounded and illegal
"pardon" of August 8, 2003," is said in the application to the RA
prime minister, CE representative, the Helsinki Association.

According to the prisoners, Article 4, Part 3 of the Law on Bringing
the Criminal Code into Force (which was in effect in the indicated
period) prohibited the use of provisions of the new criminal code
(including life imprisonment – Article 60 of the code), which was
passed by the National Assembly on April 18, 2003 and took effect
on August 1 of the same year, with respect to persons previously
sentenced to death.

"All this shows that the given decree of the RA president contradicts
the RA legislation. It follows from this that the RA president also
ignored requirements of Article 56/2 of the Constitution of the RA
which stipulates that decrees and decisions of the RA president shall
not contradict the Constitution and laws of the RA," is noted in the
application of the persons sentenced to life imprisonment.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress