YEREVAN, AUGUST 29, ARMENPRESS. The Government of Armenia has adopted a legislative package which envisages introducing criminal liability for “granting or receiving criminal hierarchy, top status, creating or leading a group of criminal subculture, even if the crimes under Article 222 or 223 of the Criminal Code (banditry and membership to organized crime) are absent.

The bill was presented today by Minister of Justice Rustam Badasyan at the Cabinet meeting.

At the same time, Badasyan said those who will cooperate with law enforcement in uncovering or disrupting the given organized crime syndicate’s activities will be freed from criminal liability.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in turn said that people involved in the subculture must be subjected to criminal liability.

“People from this subculture consider prison to be their home, and therefore they all must be sent to their homes to live,” the PM said.

“This legislative change, which I hope parliament will adopt, is of exclusive significance. The moment this becomes law massive work will have to be done,” Prosecutor General Arthur Davtyan said.

Human Rights Defender of Armenia Arman Tatoyan also spoke in favor of adopting the package.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan