COMMITTEE FOR SUPPORT TO ZHIRAYR SEFILYAN FOR ABOLITION OF ARTICLE 301, CRIMINAL CODE OF ARMENIA

arminfo
2007-08-16 12:23:00

Committee for Support to Zhirayr Sefilyan comes out for cancellation
of Article 301, the Criminal Code of Armenia, Armen Aghayan, a member
of the Committee, Political Secretary of the public and patriotic
organization ‘For Protection of Liberated Territories,’ said at
a Roundtable, Thursday. He said Article 301 restricts freedom of
speech. Moreover, police use it against unwanted political figures.

To recall, Leader of the organization ‘For Protection of Liberated
Territories ‘ Zhirayr Sefilyan and his assistant Vardan Malkhasyan
were charged just with Article 301 (calls for forced overthrow of
power). The First Instance Court of Nork Marash and Center communities
declared Sefilyan not guilty in the first part of the charge (calls for
forced overthrow of power, Article 301.1) and sentenced him for 1.5
year of prison for (illegal keeping of weapons and armaments Article
235.1). Vardan Malkhasyan was sentenced to 2 years of imprisonment for
(calls for forced overthrow of power, Article 301.1).

Armen Aghayan urged the public organizations and political parties to
unite and demand cancellation of the article. However, the Committee
is ready for a compromise if the article cannot be cancelled
completely. He said it is necessary to reformulate the article in
order that it provides for punishment for specific calls accompanied
with specific acts or creation of a situation pregnant with the given
acts. However, he did not explain what specific acts he meant.

In general, the Roundtable was devoted to the trail against Sefilyan
and Malkhasyan. Armen Aghayan reiterated that the sentences were
groundless. He explained that Malkhasyan just expressed his opinion
of the incumbent authorities. ‘The authorities fear from justice and
brave statements addressed against ‘the untouchables’. If anyone is
brave enough to blame Robert Kocharyan or Serzh Sargsyan for anything,
this may dispel the myth of their inviolability,’ he said.