RA PARLIAMENT PASSES DECISION ON GRANTING AMNESTY
Noyan Tapan
June 19, 2009
YEREVAN, JUNE 19, NOYAN TAPAN. On June 19, the RA National Assembly
with 98 votes "for," 1 "against" and 3 "abstained" passed the decision
on granting an amnesty made up on the basis of proposals acceptable for
the RA President. Zharangutiun (Heritage) faction members were against
and abstained, the reason of which was turning down of their proposals
on extending the amnesty on all persons accused on the March events.
According to the main reporter, RA Minister of Justice Gevorg
Danielian, amnesty’s decision will be used to persons committing
a crime by June 1 of the current year. It was also mentioned that
according to approximate calculations, in total, the amnesty will
extend to nearly 2 thousand persons, 500 of which will be completely
get free of serving their punishment.
The amnesty will also extend to nearly 90% persons accused on the March
events. Among them, those sentenced to maximum 5 years’ imprisonment
will get completely free of serving their punishment.
The amnesty will not be used in a number of cases, including, in
particular, to persons being in search before passing this decision,
with the exception of those voluntarily presenting themselves to the
law enforcement bodies by July 31 of the current year and to the
court if the case is examined at the court. The decision will not
extend to an especially dangerous repeated commission of crimes,
as well as to persons committing several crimes if no amnesty is
envisaged for even if one of those crimes.
The decision also establishes the conditions of reduction of the
non-served part of punishment, the responsibles of execution of
amnesty decision are clarified in separate cases. Amnesty is subject
to granting to persons kept at disciplinary battalions and RA Justice
Ministry penitentiary institutions, as well as to persons suspendedly
set free of punishment ahead of term, to persons, the punishment set
to which was delayed or the punishment was not used suspendedly or
to those sentenced to punishments not connected with imprisonment by
September 30 of the current year.