COLOMBIER MEETS WITH RA JUSTICE MINISTER AND PROSECUTOR GENERAL

Noyan Tapan
Dec 5, 2007

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 5, NOYAN TAPAN. George Colombier, the Co-Rapporteur
of PACE Monitoring Commission, on December 4, met with RA
Justice Minister Gevorg Danielian and RA Prosecutor General Aghvan
Hovsepian. Despina Chatsivasiliu, the Secretary of the PACE Monitoring
Commission, took part in the meeting.

As Noyan Tapan was informed by Lana Mshetsian, the Spokesperson of the
RA Justice Minister, during the meeting, the Minister was proposed
presenting information on a number of questions concerning court
and legal problems. In particular, the Commission took interest in
the following issues: a) the guarantees of courts’ independence when
carrying out judicial enquiry on cases of violation of the suffrage, b)
the state of ensuring budget allocations in connection with increase of
the number of judges during judicial system’s financing and court and
legal reforms, c) the directions and results of fighting corruption
in the judicial system, d) the necessity to present Judicial Code’s
principles to the international experts, e) the events aimed at
improval of the condition of obligatory execution of judicial acts, f)
issues concerning publication of the international report on tortures
in the penitentiary system.

According to the same source, the Minister gave the respective
explanations about these and a number of other issues, which "were
evaluated by the Commission as exhaustive and complete."

According to Sona Truzian, the Spokesperson of the RA Prosecutor
General, issues regarding court and legal reforms, human rights
protection in Police structures, criminal persecution of electoral
violations were discussed during the meeting with the Prosecutor
General. A. Hovsepian presented the reforms being implemented in the
system of Prosecutor’s Office, saying that the status of independence
of Prosecutor’s Office has considerably risen in this context, its
functions have become more clear. The transitional stage envisaged
by the new law On Prosecutor’s Office finished on December 1, 2007
and according to it, the new structure of Prosecutor’s Office was
established.

The RA Prosecutor General also informed the guests that the electoral
violations registered during the 2007 May parliamentary elections
have been studied, examination has been carried out in connection with
all signals received, as a result of which 8 cases on 17 persons have
been sent to the court, 12 members of district electoral commission
have been found guilty on 4 cases, 11 out of which for falsifying
voting results, 1 hampering district electoral commission’s work,
3 persons have been sentenced on 2 criminal cases for hampering free
fulfilment of voters’ will.

At the same time, it was registered that as a result of examination of
the formed judicial practice, a bill making stricter the punishments
envisaged by the RA Criminal Code for electoral falsifications has
been worked out and adopted by the RA National Assembly.

According to the same source, J. Colombier expressed the hope that
the Prosecutor’s Office will be consistent in calling to account
those guilty if electoral violations are registered in the upcoming
presidential elections.