SERZH SARGSYAN: TOO SOFT VERDICTS TO POGROMISTS MAY NOT BE OF SERVICE TO PUBLIC
ArmInfo
2008-07-21 15:40:00
President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan called effective the actions by
the law- enforcement in investigation of the incidents of 1 March
in Yerevan.
Speaking at a press conference devoted to 100 days of his presidency
Serzh Sargsyan outlined the release of dozens of people not guilty
in organization or participation in the unrest as an evidence
of the effective work of the authorities and partial fulfillment
of international recommendations. ‘I have repeatedly said and now
reiterate that I welcome soft verdicts to the people whose guilt is
not significant’, the president said. However, he said, the people
that committed heavy crimes, provoked pogroms or crushed private
property will not get soft verdicts.
‘On the other hand, I think we have no right to overlook those
incidents and the people who committed heavy crimes, organized
disorders, broke, smashed private property. I think if we are too soft
to them we will not be of service to public and many in our country
will yield to temptation to make such actions’, the president said.
Commenting on the recent statement by the first president Levon
Ter-Petrosyan that ‘Serzh Sargsyan could set free all the prisoners
by a singe phone call’, the president said ‘this step will not be
useful to anyone. If anyone is able to set free dozens of people by
a single call, he can easily imprison dozens of people in the same
way. It is not my style’, he said.