Under the current regulations, there is no criminal liability for actions or public calls for the forced renunciation of sovereignty. The aim of the proposed addenda to the Criminal Code is to envisage criminal legal measures directly aimed at protecting the sovereignty of the state. As a result of the draft adoption, actions aimed at fully or partially restricting the sovereignty of the Republic of Armenia (RA) by using violence or threatening to use violence, as well as public calls aimed at renouncing sovereignty, will be considered as criminal acts.
The RA Deputy Minister of Justice Levon Balyan, introducing the regulations proposed in the law at the sitting of the NA Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs, informed that actions aimed at renouncing sovereignty will be punished by imprisonment for 10-15 years, and public calls addressed to them will be punished by various types of punishment, from a fine to short-term imprisonment for a maximum period of two months or imprisonment for a maximum period of three years. If these calls are made using publicly displayed works or media or information technology, they can face 2-5 years in prison.
In the adjacent report, the Committee member Arpine Davoyan referred to the essence and legal formulations of the sovereignty concept, noting that the state sovereignty is its political and legal property, which is expressed by the supremacy of state power within the country and independence in foreign relations. The internal sovereignty of the state is expressed by the supremacy of the state and authority over other organizations of the political system.
The MP Lilit Minasyan expressed the opinion that sovereignty is a non-negotiable value, and the aim of this draft is to improve the legislative field. The MP Vigen Khachatryan also mentioned that it is necessary to increase the defense capability of the country with such laws, because there are states that are not in favour of Armenian sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as there are agency structures in our country. According to his assessment, in addition to this law, the security services should also work in this direction.
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Opposition MPs Gegham Nazaryan and Artsvik Minasyan expressed the opinion that the notion of ‘sovereignty’ should be more clearly defined. According to Artsvik Minasyan, the issue of the sovereignty criminal liability should be so clear and meet the requirements of legal certainty that no one, whether it is the government, the opposition or a person provoked from outside, try to encroach on the RA sovereignty and territorial integrity. The MP informed that they will abstain from voting because the proposed wording is vague and needs to be clarified.
The Deputy Minister Levon Balyan expressed his readiness to support all initiatives aimed at improving the bill.
As a result of the voting, the bill was endorsed by the Committee.
National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia
