Doesn’t see danger
Lawyer Robert Revazyan was surprised by the statement of representative of the RA Prosecutor General's Office Alexander Muradyan overseeing the cases of prisoners sentenced to death. According to Muradyan, Armenia lacks experience in premature release of prisoners sentenced to death and shouldn't rush.
"That doesn't serve as gorunds for the premature release of prisoners. What steps have been taken in the past 20 years to prepare for that?" Mr. Revazyan told "A1+".
The lawyer was particularly surprised by the Prosecutor General's Office representative's approach of describing the prisoners in colors-red, orange and green. Alexander Muradyan determines the level of the prisoners sentenced to death through the sequence of these colors. "If the prosecutor general's office representative is making this kind of statement, it means that this is the prosectur general's office's viewpoint. I think it should speak with facts," said Robert Revazyan.
Throughout his career, the lawyer has had occasions to speak with the prisoners sentenced to death and assures that he doesn't see more danger from them than from average citizens.
"Of course, I don't exclude that there are also dangerous prisoners, but we can't say that they are definitely dangerous. Getting acquainted with the cases of few prisoners, I started asking many questions regarding their imprisonment. Not all of them are criminals. I have talked with some of them. They are very educated people and it gives me pleasure to speak with them."
Not getting into details, the lawyer underlined that there is still no serious debate over premature release or the prisoners' issues. "That is an imperative. The entire civilized world is moving toward that."
According to Revazyan, the existing legislation and the lack of will are what impede the premature release of prisoners sentenced to death. "The legislation doesn't clearly state how a prisoner should act for premature release."
Let us remind that dozens of non-governmental organizations have issued statements and demand an institute to reconsider the cases of prisoners sentenced to death in Armenia.
There are currently 99 prisoners sentenced to death in Armenia.
