Imprisoned MPs are rejected immunity restoration

The National Assembly of Armenia, having discussed on March 30 the issue of restoration of deputy's immunity for the four MPs figuring in the "Case of Seven", decided not to interfere yet into the trial and wait for next moves of the prosecutor's office. On April 1, the General Public Prosecutor will present new charges to the detainees.

Ovik Abramyan, Chairman of the National Assembly, organized on March 30 discussion of the issue in parliament's factions. During the debates, employees of the law division of the parliament were present, who draw attention of the audience to the fact that should the National Assembly convoke an extraordinary session and make a decision to cancel the previous verdict, the Assembly can have legal problems, in particular, such decision will be contradictory to the Constitution. 

We remind you that on March 26 the National Assembly received an application of the "Case of Seven" figurants - Sasun Mikaelyan, Akop Akopyan and Miasnik Malkhasyan - asking to cancel the parliamentary decision to deprive them of deputy's immunity. The arrested MPs note that when on March 4 last year the Public Prosecutor brought his petition to the National Assembly, he gave not a single fact to confirm that they (i.e. the arrested MPs) were organizers of mass disorders which the aim to seize power. MPs Mikaelyan, Akopyan and Malkhasyan asked to convoke an extraordinary parliament sitting: "After the amendments made in Articles 225.3 and 300.1 of the Criminal Code the charges put forward against us ceased to have force," the detainees wrote to their colleagues.

Making comments on the chance to cancel the earlier parliament's decision, Armen Rustamyan, chairman of the permanent parliamentary commission on foreign relations and member of the ANFD (Armenian National Front "Dashnaktsutyun") faction, said that neither the Regulations on the National Assembly nor the Constitution stipulate restoration of deputy's immunity.

Armen Martirosyan, chairman of the "Heritage" faction, was of the opposite viewpoint. According to his story, if the National Assembly had made a decision, it should be able to cancel it.