“Small amnesty”
If the amendments foreseen in the RA Criminal Code and the Code on Violations of Administrative Law and discussed at the National Assembly are made, 1,200 out of nearly 5,300 prisoners may be released in Armenia. The draft presented by prosecutors envisages mitigations and restrictions.
"This can be considered a small amnesty," vice-chairman of NA Committee on Human Rights Rafik Petrosyan told "A1+".
According to him, the elements of the Soviet era should be removed from the Criminal Code. "A person shouldn't be sentenced for the same act several times." eliminate
According to the draft, the principle of double sentencing is taken out of the Criminal Code. There are also restrictions. "Today the maximum measure of punishment is 15 years, but it may reach 25. A death sentencing after 15 years of imprisonment is not right, especially since a person sentenced to death in prison is allowed premature release after 20 years," said Mr. Petrosyan.
The measures of punishment for serious crimes have increased.
The draft decriminalizes the abduction of small amounts of money, transfers it to the RA Code on Violations of Administrative Law and envisages fines. "For economic crimes, if the damage is compensated, the person is not punished," said Rafik Petrosyan.
MP Artsvik Minasyan welcomes the draft law. He recalled that to this day, penitentiaries have been foreseen for 4,400 prisoners, but that number reaches the 5,300 mark.
Artsvik Minasyan, who was one of the active participants of today's discussion, had a hard time saying what kind of an impact these amendments would have on those sentenced to prison for the events that took place on 1-2 March 2008.
According to Rafik Petrosyan, this amendment will not have an impact on political prisoners, particularly Nikol Pashinyan and Sasun Mikayelyan because they have not committed the same crime two times. Mr. Petrosyan also mentioned that other measures envisaged by the Criminal Code can be applied for them, for instance, premature release or pardon.
The NA is still discussing the draft with a first reading. Rafik Petrosyan says the draft must specify how long it will take before the amendments are put into effect.
