National Assembly of Armenia passes presidential proposal on amnesty
announcement

2009-06-19 22:20:00

ArmInfo. National Assembly of Armenia passed the presidential proposal
on amnesty announcement on Friday.

Justice Minister Gevorg Danielyan declared that almost al the proposals
by the parliamentarians have been actually accepted after long
discussions. The text of the presidential proposal on amnesty
announcement submitted to the Armenian National Assembly contains the
names of the persons and the categories of the crimes the expected
amnesty will fully or partially apply to. Thus, it is proposed to set
free the persons convicted for maximum 3 year of imprisonment, the
persons whose sentences were not executed conditionally or the service
of the sentence was postponed as well as the persons sentenced to
non-custodial penalties. In addition, it is proposed to set free the
disabled of the first and second groups, the persons at the age of 60,
minors below 18, the participants in the Great patriotic War, the
participants in the military actions to protect Armenia’s borders, the
repressed persons as well as the persons equalized to them, spouses,
children or parents of the persons killed in military actions when
defending Armenia. The amnesty may apply to the persons who committed
crimes during the incidents on March 1-2 inYerevan in 2008 and possible
to face maximum 5 year of imprisonment. Danielyan said it is proposed
to set free the persons who committed intentional crimes, the convicts
for maximum 5 year, who would have been served at least 1/3 of the
sentence on the day of amnesty becoming effective. To set free the
persons convicted for ten years it is necessary that on the day of
amnesty becoming effective they would have served half of the sentence.
The persons convicted for less than 5 years of imprisonment who
committed crimes negligently will be set free. If this category of the
convicts is sentenced to ten years of imprisonment, they will be set
free if on the day of amnesty becoming effective they would have served
already 1/3 of the term. It is also proposed stopping the criminal
cases initiated before June 1 2009 if the convicts are disabled, minors
and above 60 and if they are defendants on the March 1-2 case and face
no more than 3 year of imprisonment. It is proposed to commute the
sentence for a broad circle of persons. Particularly the sentences of
the persons who committed crimes negligently may be commuted by 2/3.
For the disabled of the 1-2 groups, minors, the participants in the
military actions to defend Armenia, the sentences will be halved. The
persons which are malicious breakers of order while in prison, those
who committed crimes while in prison, dangerous recidivists, that had
committed several crimes, as well as the persons being in the list of
wanted, except those who will willingly come to law enforcement
agencies till 31 June 2009, cannot be amnestied. The persons which
committed several enormous offenses cannot be amnestied either. Justice
minister said that about 2,000 people will be amnestied, 500 of which
will be set free. It is supposed that people which committed crime
before 1 June 2009 may be amnestied. The whole procedure will end till
30 September 2009. Danielyan also said that all the imprisoned
supporters of the radical opposition will be amnestied except deputy of
the parliament Sasun Mikaelyan. The former deputy prosecutor general
Gagik Jhangiryan and ex-minister on state incomes Smbat Ayvazyan will
be also discharged from prison.