Introducing a mechanism for seizure of property without an accusatory verdict is Armenia’s international commitment, and I received a statement of information on that this morning. This is what Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan declared during his March 19 press conference.
According to him, this is recorded in Armenia’s relations with the UN and certain European institutions. “The European Court of Human Rights has rulings that clearly state the Court’s opinion on the mechanism for seizing property without an accusatory verdict. The Court has stated that this fully complies with the European Convention on Human Rights. So, there is no question on the compliance of that mechanism with the European Convention on Human Rights,” Pashinyan said.
He noted that back in 2015, Armenia’s international partners had made a recommendation to introduce this mechanism in Armenia, and the incumbent government is working in this direction.
“Today, there are certain state bodies that want to block those actions with certain arguments. The government has to warn some of those bodies. If they don’t draw conclusions, we’ll tell them to mind their business,” the Prime Minister said.
Pashinyan emphasized that, in his opinion, this mechanism needs to be introduced in Armenia. “Today, the public is not content with the government and believes the government isn’t working as actively and as effectively as it should to reveal corruption crimes and return that which has been robbed. If we proceed with typical procedures, it might take decades to do this. Moreover, this doesn’t just concern the former authorities. This is not criminal liability, but a function that is carried out within the scope of civil proceedings. One has to prove that the property obtained is lawful,” Pashinyan highlighted.
When told that his opponents say the application of such a mechanism may be a hindrance to investments, Pashinyan said the following in response: “Those opponents aren’t concerned about investments. All they’re thinking about is what’s going to happen to their villas, their apartments in central Yerevan and the hectares of their lands. All of those properties are going to be seized.”
