ARMENIAN COURTS SENTENCE 3,520 PEOPLE LAST YEAR

ARMENPRESS

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 18, ARMENPRESS: Some 3,520 people were tried and
sentenced to different prison terms by Armenian courts last year.

David Aversion, chairman of the criminal cases chamber of the Court
of Cassation said Friday the numbers were 7.5 percent down from the
previous year of 2006.

Some 179 of the convicted people were juveniles.

The most frequent offense in Armenia is theft and 864 people were
sentenced for this crime, 267 were sentenced for hooliganism. David
Avetisian said the number of people sentenced for gross violation of
traffic rules decreased last year 31 percent to 181 people.

The number of people sentenced for robbery also decreased 30 percent,
he said. But the number of people sentenced for committing murders
grew by 2 to 71. Armenian courts acquitted last year a record high
ten people of charges, by 6 more than in 2006. The courts also dropped
285 cases.

Under a last year amendment to the Armenian Criminal Code a criminal
case can be instituted only if there is a written complaint from
plaintiff. The amendment also says the case is canceled if the parties
come to an amicable settlement.

According to David Avetisian, the fate of about 12 percent of all
offenses are handled by plaintiffs and respondents. As a result some
1000 people avoided prison last year.