Amnesty Initiated in Artsakh

The President of Artsakh has decided to declare an amnesty, with the proposal already sent to the parliament. This was reported by ‘Hraparak’. The draft law on amnesty proposes to issue forgiveness to certain categories of individuals suspected of or having committed crimes until April 1, 2023. The necessity for this amnesty is aimed at somewhat alleviating the humanitarian crisis resulting from the continuous violations by Azerbaijan against the Republic of Artsakh during the post-war period, including the blockade of the only road connecting Artsakh to the Republic of Armenia.

The amnesty is dedicated to the 35th anniversary of the Artsakh movement and will apply to more than 100 individuals. Opposition MP Davit Galstyan has suggested removing from the draft the crimes related to public officials that caused significant harm to the state, specifically damages of at least 3 million drams. Although the draft stipulates compensation for damages caused to the state before the amnesty is issued, Galstyan argues that this will set a precedent, allowing officials to misappropriate state resources with the understanding that even if caught, they would fall under the amnesty provisions.

For more details, refer to today’s issue of the newspaper.