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GET OUT OF JAIL DAY: ARMENIA'S 9TH AMNESTY OF PRISONERS TO BEGIN TODAY
News | 08.10.13 | 16:37
Photolure
Margar Ohanyan
By Siranuysh Gevorgyan
ArmeniaNow reporter
By the end of the day Tuesday around 600 convicts will leave 12
penitentiaries of the country under the amnesty declared on the
occasion of the 22nd anniversary of Armenia's independence. Former
chief of road police Margar Ohanyan, in prison since 2011 for major
misappropriation of petrol state allotted to the road police, is
among the 'lucky' ones.
The amnesty applies also to oppositional Armenian National Congress
activist Tigran Arakelyan, viewed by the opposition as a political
prisoner, sentenced to six years of imprisonment. As Arakelyan's
and the other three ANC activists' cases are under investigation at
the Criminal Court of Appeal, the amnesty decision will be read in
court when the verdict is brought in. Reserve army colonel Vladimir
Karapetyan, charged will major fraud, will also be released from
custody.
As justice minister's assistant Nikolay Arustamyan told the press,
besides the 600 released convicts the amnesty applies to another
1,000 whose remaining terms will be reduced. The amnesty will also
apply to those sentenced to alternative punishment (fines, community
service/penal labor).
In the history of independent Armenia this is the 9th amnesty,
which, as compared to others, covers larger scope of articles of the
criminal code, however does not apply to life sentence, state treason,
usurpation of power, espionage, sabotage, crimes of sexual character,
drug dealing.
The amnesty will greatly relieve the overload at penitentiaries.
Arustamyan says those institutions are built to room up to 4,100
people, while there are currently 4,700 convicts. The overpopulation
issue has been raised repeatedly by local human rights activists and
the Ombudsman's office.
In reference to the claims that the amnesty is now declared to solve
that very issue of overpopulation of prisons, Arustamyan says:
"Next year we will have a new Criminal Procedure Code and as a
result imprisonment as a punitive means will be practiced less,
which means the amount of convicts will decrease; instead our courts
will start practicing more alternative punishment. And, besides,
Armavir penitentiary will start functioning since January 2014 and
the overpopulation issue will get solved regardless."
The new penitentiary is designed to room 1,200 convicts; however next
year it will be ready to receive only 400 people.
Apart from the overpopulation issue, Arustamyan says, the amnesty
is of economic help to the country, as the expenses for keeping
the convicts are reduced (the state allots 4,395 drams ($10.70) per
convict per day). Arustamyan assures the number of recurrent crimes
has not grown since last amnesty.
Arustamyan said that after a similar amnesty in 2011 there has been
5.8 percent recidivism "which, as compared to Europe, is a rather
small figure".
http://armenianow.com/news/49034/armenia_amnesty_margar_ohanyan
News | 08.10.13 | 16:37
Photolure
Margar Ohanyan
By Siranuysh Gevorgyan
ArmeniaNow reporter
By the end of the day Tuesday around 600 convicts will leave 12
penitentiaries of the country under the amnesty declared on the
occasion of the 22nd anniversary of Armenia's independence. Former
chief of road police Margar Ohanyan, in prison since 2011 for major
misappropriation of petrol state allotted to the road police, is
among the 'lucky' ones.
The amnesty applies also to oppositional Armenian National Congress
activist Tigran Arakelyan, viewed by the opposition as a political
prisoner, sentenced to six years of imprisonment. As Arakelyan's
and the other three ANC activists' cases are under investigation at
the Criminal Court of Appeal, the amnesty decision will be read in
court when the verdict is brought in. Reserve army colonel Vladimir
Karapetyan, charged will major fraud, will also be released from
custody.
As justice minister's assistant Nikolay Arustamyan told the press,
besides the 600 released convicts the amnesty applies to another
1,000 whose remaining terms will be reduced. The amnesty will also
apply to those sentenced to alternative punishment (fines, community
service/penal labor).
In the history of independent Armenia this is the 9th amnesty,
which, as compared to others, covers larger scope of articles of the
criminal code, however does not apply to life sentence, state treason,
usurpation of power, espionage, sabotage, crimes of sexual character,
drug dealing.
The amnesty will greatly relieve the overload at penitentiaries.
Arustamyan says those institutions are built to room up to 4,100
people, while there are currently 4,700 convicts. The overpopulation
issue has been raised repeatedly by local human rights activists and
the Ombudsman's office.
In reference to the claims that the amnesty is now declared to solve
that very issue of overpopulation of prisons, Arustamyan says:
"Next year we will have a new Criminal Procedure Code and as a
result imprisonment as a punitive means will be practiced less,
which means the amount of convicts will decrease; instead our courts
will start practicing more alternative punishment. And, besides,
Armavir penitentiary will start functioning since January 2014 and
the overpopulation issue will get solved regardless."
The new penitentiary is designed to room 1,200 convicts; however next
year it will be ready to receive only 400 people.
Apart from the overpopulation issue, Arustamyan says, the amnesty
is of economic help to the country, as the expenses for keeping
the convicts are reduced (the state allots 4,395 drams ($10.70) per
convict per day). Arustamyan assures the number of recurrent crimes
has not grown since last amnesty.
Arustamyan said that after a similar amnesty in 2011 there has been
5.8 percent recidivism "which, as compared to Europe, is a rather
small figure".
http://armenianow.com/news/49034/armenia_amnesty_margar_ohanyan