Press Release Amendments to the Criminal Code: Ensuring Security or Suppressing Dissent?

 On February 23, 2018, at 1 pm, the Media Center (address: 12, Saryan St., 2^nd floor) will host a discussion on Amendments to the Criminal Code: Ensuring Security or Suppressing Dissent?

The draft RA Law on Making Amendments to the Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia and the draft RA Law on Making Amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code of the Republic of Armenia were posted for public discussion on E-draft.am integral website for publication of draft legal acts.

The drafts were authored by the RA General Prosecutor’s Office and presented through the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Armenia. The official reasoning provided on the website particularly reads as follows:

“We suggest adopting the Draft to criminalize public calls for terrorism, terrorism financing and international terrorism crimes in order to ensure stricter public penal policies on crimes against public security and fulfillment of the international commitments taken on by Armenia.”

Civil society members are concerned, however, that the law enforcement agencies will use such amendments as a lever to suppress dissent and oppositional spirit in the media and political arena.

Speakers:

Haykuhi Harutyunyan, President, Protection of Rights without Borders NGO

Avetik Ishkhanyan, Chairman, Helsinki Committee of Armenia;

Artur Sakunts, Chairman, Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly-Vanadzor;

Ashot Melikyan, Chairman, Committee to Protect Freedom of Expression;