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ARMENIA REPORTS HIGHEST NUMBER OF LIFE-TERMERS IN EUROPE
tert.am
09.10.12
Armenia has the highest number of life-termers in Europe, Robert
Revazyan, lawyer for the Helsinki Committee of Armenia, told
journalists on Tuesday.
Specifically, Armenia has 105 life-termers with a population of
3m; Estonia, 36 life-termers with a population of 1.3m; Holland,
120 life-termers with a population of 16.5m; Sweden, 170 with a
population of 9.5m; Poland, 200 with a population of 38m; France,
550, with a population of 67m.
After Armenia abolished death penalty in 2003, the Armenian president
signed a decree replacing it with life imprisonment for 40 death
row inmates.
"From the legal point of view, the presidential decree imposed a
punishment, which is courts' exclusive right. The prisoners have since
been serving their sentences on the basis of the presidential decree,"
the expert said.
Armenian life-termers include persons convicted for murdering up to
eight people and dangerous recidivists. On the other hand, aiders
and abettors are among life-termers as well.
Mr Revazyan reported that 41 of the life-termers were convicted for
murdering one person, with 26 of the cases being the first conviction.
Twenty-two of them are under 21, with 15 of them convicted for
military crimes.
"Did we send dangerous criminals to the army? Moreover, what did
commanders do to prevent the crimes? If a state has an army with so
many crimes committed there, who is responsible for that?"
Five of the life-termers have spent 20 years in prison, which allows
them to apply for early release. However, the human rights activists
do not know a single case.
Mr Revazyan noted that only a low percentage of life-termers serve
out their sentences in different countries due to reduced terms for
applications for early release - 14 years in Great Britain, nine
years in Sweden, 10 to 15 years in Finland, 12 years in Denmark.
In this context, the human rights activities propose relevant
amendments to Armenia's laws.
tert.am
09.10.12
Armenia has the highest number of life-termers in Europe, Robert
Revazyan, lawyer for the Helsinki Committee of Armenia, told
journalists on Tuesday.
Specifically, Armenia has 105 life-termers with a population of
3m; Estonia, 36 life-termers with a population of 1.3m; Holland,
120 life-termers with a population of 16.5m; Sweden, 170 with a
population of 9.5m; Poland, 200 with a population of 38m; France,
550, with a population of 67m.
After Armenia abolished death penalty in 2003, the Armenian president
signed a decree replacing it with life imprisonment for 40 death
row inmates.
"From the legal point of view, the presidential decree imposed a
punishment, which is courts' exclusive right. The prisoners have since
been serving their sentences on the basis of the presidential decree,"
the expert said.
Armenian life-termers include persons convicted for murdering up to
eight people and dangerous recidivists. On the other hand, aiders
and abettors are among life-termers as well.
Mr Revazyan reported that 41 of the life-termers were convicted for
murdering one person, with 26 of the cases being the first conviction.
Twenty-two of them are under 21, with 15 of them convicted for
military crimes.
"Did we send dangerous criminals to the army? Moreover, what did
commanders do to prevent the crimes? If a state has an army with so
many crimes committed there, who is responsible for that?"
Five of the life-termers have spent 20 years in prison, which allows
them to apply for early release. However, the human rights activists
do not know a single case.
Mr Revazyan noted that only a low percentage of life-termers serve
out their sentences in different countries due to reduced terms for
applications for early release - 14 years in Great Britain, nine
years in Sweden, 10 to 15 years in Finland, 12 years in Denmark.
In this context, the human rights activities propose relevant
amendments to Armenia's laws.