Lawyers’ Chamber Proposes Criminalizing Offenses on Social Media

On February 21, during a meeting with journalists, Harut Akhlunts, Deputy Chairman of the Lawyers' Chamber of Armenia, announced that the chamber's working group has submitted 18 proposals regarding the draft law on "Amendments and Additions to the RA Criminal Code."

“In particular, the Chamber proposes to define the concept of a continuing crime as one or several actions that contain the characteristics of a crime perpetrated by one subject against one object from the same source. Regarding the statute of limitations, it is proposed to consider the time of the next day following the commission of the crime until the next day when the verdict enters into force,” emphasized Akhlunts.

Additionally, the Chamber suggests providing the possibility to exempt from criminal punishment a person who has given a bribe if refusing to give a bribe could create a situation that presents a potential danger for that individual.

“We also propose to establish liability for defamation and insult against lawyers, considering that ensuring the normal operation of defense is a necessary prerequisite for the effective functioning of the entire justice system. Furthermore, we propose to criminalize insults voiced on social media, given that the existing mechanisms of the judicial system do not allow for effective combat against this phenomenon,” he said.