184 Individuals Released from Criminal Liability for Committing Severe or Particularly Severe Crimes on the Basis of Genuine Regret

184 individuals who committed severe or particularly severe crimes have been released from criminal liability on the basis of genuine regret.

In response to a question from Armenpress, this information was provided by the Office of the Prosecutor General of Armenia, addressing how many individuals have been released from criminal liability due to genuine regret since the adoption of the relevant law.

“We inform you that 184 individuals have been released from criminal liability for committing severe and/or particularly severe crimes on the basis of genuine regret. Among them, 1 is for crimes under Article 10 (Crimes against property, economy, and economic activities) and Article 14 (Crimes against state authority) of the Criminal Code, 1 for a crime under Article 14, and 182 for crimes under Article 15 (Crimes against the established order of military service),” stated the Prosecutor General's Office. No further details could be provided regarding the criminal proceedings, as they contain information not subject to publication.

In Armenia, the institution of genuine regret has become applicable in exceptional cases to severe and particularly severe crimes. The law allowing for the release of individuals who committed severe or particularly severe crimes from criminal liability on this basis came into effect on August 4, 2023.

When presenting the bill in the National Assembly, Justice Minister Grigor Minasyan noted that Article 81 of the Criminal Code, which provides for the legal regulation of release from criminal liability based on genuine regret, stipulates that if a person has committed an offense for the first time, they may be released from criminal liability if their act is categorized as minor or medium severity, and they cooperate with the prosecution authorities, do not contest the act attributed to them, and compensate or otherwise resolve the damages caused by the crime if any.

“Given the existing workload of investigative bodies, such a legal regulation is crucial, as it significantly reduces the burden on both investigative bodies and courts. In this context, a question arises: why can't the same legal regulations be exceptionally applied to severe or particularly severe crimes? Therefore, we propose to the bill to not foresee such restrictions in the case of genuine regret,” Minasyan stated.

The law specifies the circumstances under which a person cannot be released from liability based on genuine regret. These include crimes against peace and humanity, human trafficking or exploitation, causing severe physical pain or severe mental suffering under aggravating circumstances, terrorism, abuse of power or authority by an official, and other crimes for which life imprisonment is prescribed.