Who can be released soon?
How can prisoners take advantage of the right to release? The National Assembly discussed today two bills on making changes to the "Penitentiary Code"-one authored by the government and presented by Justice Minister Gevorg Danielyan and the other authored by NA Deputy Zaruhi Postanjyan.
"Independent committees don't work effectively in Armenia and must be eradicated," told "A1+" today Zaruhi Postanjayn. Her view was included in her bill on making changes in the code.
According to the existing legislation, the prisoners must appeal to the corresponding committee.
Postanjyan believes that the committee simply follows orders and not all political prisoners who have already served their time in prison may take advantage of the right to premature release. Postanjyan proposes to give that right to prisoners to appeal to the court without petitions.
According to the resolution passed on February 5, 2008, the prisoner may appeal to the corresponding committee regarding the decision to deny the release. This was the only issue that Postanjyan and the Justice Minister shared the opinion, but unlike the Minister, Mrs. Postanjyan believes that the committee doesn't justify its end.
It was based on the resolutions of the same committee that Jirair Sefilyan, Vardan Malkhasyan, Arman Babajanyan and others were not released.
According to Postanjyan, prisoners must have the opportunity to appeal to the court for premature release.
Justice Minister Gevorg Danielyan told "A1+" that the government is currently trying to adjust the existing legislation to the Constitution and pledged that the National Assembly and the government will work together on one of the legislative reforms.
"The bill will be ready no later than a month. It is going to solve two issues-the defense of rights and legal interests of prisoners and create conditions for no exploitation," said Gevorg Danielyan.
