A seminar was held at the Armenian Strategic and National...

A seminar was held at the Armenian Strategic and National Research Center to discus issues concerning the European convention of defence of human rights and freedom and problems concerning the ratification of the 6th protocol of the convention by Armenia, which supposes the abolition of the death penalty. Different views and numerous sociological researches were presented during the discussions. In particular, the Chairman of the right defending union "National alliance of Aug 23" Pushkin Serobian expressed sharp criticism regarding the death penalty and Armenia's sluggishness to abolish it. He mentioned that the life imprisonment is more strict than the momentary destruction of a man and thus depriving him of opportunity to respond for his deed. The participants of the seminar also brought facts about that at the moment in Armenia 40 prisoners are waiting for the death penalty, some of them have died "not waiting unit its execution", and one has been killed by his fellow-inmate. Facts have been presented from the experience of European countries, which testify that the existence of death penalty doesn't promote the reduction of number of grave crimes. The deputy of the Armenian parliament from the People's party of Armenia Stepan Zakarian stressed the untimeliness of the abolition of the death penalty, as neither legal nor social base is ready for such an important step. According to him, the atmosphere of impunity reigns in the Armenian society and the abolition of the death penalty will only become a political action, provoked by the requirements of the CE, and not as a result of the process of development of Armenian society and public right.