15:04, 4 September 2003

Human rights activists are discontented with small number of verdicts of "not guilty" passed by courts

Judgments were given on 2,019 people out of 4,200 convicts who appealed for commutation. The sentences of 800 convicts remained unchanged, 600 people were released. The total number of convicts in Armenia is about 5,000. This was reported by the head of the Criminal Executive Department of the Armenian Ministry of Justice Samvel Ovannisian at the meeting of the Armenian Presidential Commission for Human Rights.

Commission Vice-Chairman Gaik Alumian gave a negative evaluation to the results of the judicial system reform. As the main factor he presented the data on the verdicts of "not guilty" brought in by the courts of first instance and the Court of Appeal. The data showed that from January 1999 to July 1, 2003 the courts of first instance had brought in only 14 and the Court of Appeal - only 13 verdicts of "not guilty".

Meanwhile, Alumian noted, the judicial practice of the US, Britain and Russia, legal proceedings of which are very different, shows that nearly 20% of suspects are not guilty. Alumian sees the way out of the current situation in creation of the Jury institution.

Author: Susanna Petrosian, CK correspondent

Source: Caucasian Knot