11.04.03

 

 

Republic of Armenia

Criminal Code

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

General Part

 

Section 1. Criminal legislation

 

Chapter 1. Principles and objectives of criminal legislation

 

Article 1. Criminal legislation of the Republic of Armenia.

 

Article 2. The objectives of the Criminal Code.

 

Article 3. The grounds for criminal liability.

The only ground for criminal liability is crime, i.e., committal of an act which incorporates all elements of crime, envisaged by criminal law.

 

Article 4. Principles of criminal legislation.

 

Article 5. Principle of legitimacy.

 

Article 6. Principle of equality before the law.

 

Article 7. Principle of inevitability of liability.

 

Article 8. Principle of personal liability.

 

Article 9. Principle of liability in accordance with the offence.

 

Article 10. Principle of individuality of justice and liability.

 

Article 11. Humanitarian principle.

 

 

Chapter 2.

Operation of the criminal law in time and space

 

Article 12. Operation of the criminal law in time

 

Article 13. Retroactive effect of criminal law.

 

Article 14. The effect of the criminal law with regard to persons who committed crime in the territory of the Republic of Armenia.

 

Article 15. Effect of criminal law with regard to persons who committed crimes outside the territory of the Republic of Armenia.

 

Article 16. Extradition of persons who committed a crime.

 

Article 17. Legal significance of a person’s conviction outside the RA

 

Section 2. Crime.

 

Chapter 3. The notion and types of crime.

 

Article 18. The notion of crime.

 

Article 19. Types of crime.

 

Article 20. Aggregate of crimes.

 

Article 21. Repeated crime

 

Article 22. Recidivism.

 

 

Chapter 4.

Persons subject to criminal liability.

 

Article 23. General conditions of criminal liability.

 

Article 24. The age at which a person is subject to criminal liability.

 

Article 25. Insanity.

 

Article 26. Limited sanity.

 

Article 27. Criminal liability of persons who committed crime in the state of intoxication.

 

 

Chapter 5.

Guilt.

 

Article 28. Types of guilt.

 

Article 29. Committal of willful crime.

 

Article 30. Committal of negligent crime.

 

Article 31. Inflicting damage without guilt

 

Article 32. Liability for crimes with two types of guilt.

 

 

Chapter 6.

Completed and unfinished crime.

 

Article 33. Completed and unfinished crime.

 

Article 34. Attempt to commit a crime.

 

Article 35. Preparation of crime.

 

Article 36. Voluntary refusal from a crime.

 

 

Chapter 7.

Complicity.

 

Article 37. The notion of complicity.

 

Article 38. Types of accomplices.

 

Article 39. The liability of accomplices.

 

Article 40. Excess of performer.

 

Article 41. Committal of crime by a group of individuals, by an organized group or by a criminal association.

 

 

 

 

Chapter 8.

Circumstances excluding the criminality of the act.

 

Article 42. Necessary defense.

 

Article 43. Inflicting damage when capturing the perpetrator.

 

Article 44. Urgent necessity.

 

Article 45. Physical or psychiatric enforcement.

 

Article 46. Justified risk.

 

Article 47. Execution of an order or instruction.

 

 

Section 3. Punishment.

 

Chapter 9.

Notion of punishment, purposes and types.

 

Article 48. The notion of punishment and its purposes.

 

Article 49. Types of punishment.

 

Article 50. Basic and supplementary punishments.

 

Article 51. Fines.

 

Article 52. Deprivation of the right to hold certain posts or practice certain professions.

 

Article 53. Deprivation of  special titles or military ranks, categories, degrees or qualification class

 

Article 54. Public works

 

Article 55. Confiscation of property.

 

Article 56. Correctional labor

 

Article 57. Arrest.

 

Article 58. Keeping in disciplinary battalion.

Article 59. Imprisonment for a certain term.

 

Article 60. Life sentence.

 

 

Chapter 10.

Assignment of punishment.

 

Article 61. General principles of assigning punishment.

 

Article 62. Circumstances mitigating liability and punishment.

Article 63. Circumstances aggravating the liability and punishment.

Article 64. Assignment of a milder punishment than envisaged by law.

 

Article 65. Assignment of punishment for an unfinished crime.

 

Article 66. Assignment of punishment by accumulation of crimes.

 

Article 67. Assignment of punishment by accumulation of sentences.

 

Article 68. Determining the terms of punishment by summing them up.

 

Article 69. Calculation of the punishment terms and offsetting punishment.

Article 70. Conditional punishment.

 

Article 71. Procedure and conditions of punishment implementation

 

 

Section 4. Exemption from criminal liability and punishment.

 

Chapter 11.

Exemption from criminal liability.

 

Article 72. Exemption from criminal liability in case of repentance.

 

Article 73. Exemption from criminal liability in case of reconciliation with the aggrieved.

 

Article 74. Exemption from criminal liability due to change of situation.

 

Article 75. Exemption from criminal liability as a result of expiry of the statute of limitation.

 

Chapter 12.

Exemption from punishment.

 

Article 76. Exemption from punishment on parole.

Article 77. Replacement of the unserved part of the punishment with a softer punishment.

 

Article 78. Postponement or exemption from punishment of pregnant women or women with children under 3 years of age.

Article 79. Exemption from punishment as a result of severe illness.

 

Article 80. Exemption from punishment as result of extraordinary circumstances.

 

Article 81. Exemption from punishment due to expiry of the accusatory court sentence.

Chapter 13.

Amnesty, pardon, criminal record.

 

Article 82. Amnesty.

 

Article 83. Pardon.

 

Article 84. Criminal record.

Section 5.

Peculiarities of criminal liability and punishment for minors.

 

Chapter 14.

Peculiarities of criminal liability and punishment for minors.

 

Article 85. Criminal liability and punishment of minors.

 

Article 86. Types of punishment.

 

Article 87. Fine.

 

Article 88. Arrest.

 

Article 89. Imprisonment.

 

Article 90. Assigning punishment.

Article 91. Exemption from criminal liability by application of enforced disciplinary measures.

Article 92. The essence of enforced disciplinary measures.

Article 93. Exemption from punishment by placement in special educational and disciplinary or medical and disciplinary institution.

Article 94. Exemption from punishment on parole.

Article 95. Exemption from criminal liability or punishment due to expiry of prescription period.

Article 96. Quashing the criminal record.

 

 

Section 6. Measures of medical enforcement.

 

Chapter 15. Measures of medical enforcement.

 

Article 97. Grounds for application of medical enforcement measures.

Article 98. Types of medical enforcement measures.

 

Article 99. Outpatient supervision by psychiatrist and enforced treatment.

Outpatient supervision by psychiatrist and enforced treatment can be assigned if the person in his mental state does not need to be admitted to a psychiatry hospital.

 

Article 100. Enforced treatment in psychiatry hospital.

Article 101. Assignment, change and termination of enforced medical measures.

Article 102. Offsetting the period of application of enforced medical measures.

 

Article 103. Enforced medical measures added to execution of punishment.

 

 

Special Part

 

Section 7. Crimes against man.

 

Chapter 16. Crimes against life and health.

 

Article 104. Murder

Article 105. Murder in the state of strong temporary insanity (fit of insanity).

Article 106. Murder of a newly born child by the mother.

Article 107. Murder of a criminal through the use of excessive measures when capturing the latter.

Article 108. Murder by exceeding necessary defense.

Article 109. Causing death by negligence.

Article 110. Causing somebody to commit suicide.

Article 111. Abetment of suicide.

Article 112. Infliction of willful heavy damage to health.

Article 113. Infliction of willful medium-gravity damage to health.

Article 114. Infliction of medium-gravity or grave damage to health in the state of temporary insanity.

Article 115. Infliction of medium-gravity or grave damage to a criminal when capturing the latter, through the use of excessive measures.

Article 116. Inflicting medium-gravity or grave damage by exceeding the limits of necessary defense.

Article 117. Infliction of willful light damage to health.

Article 118. Battery.

Article 119. Torture.

Article 120. Inflicting grave damage through negligence.

Article 121. Inflicting medium-gravity damage through negligence.

Article 122. Performing illegal abortion.

Article 123. Infecting with AIDS virus.

Article 124. Infecting with venereal or other sexually transmitted diseases.

Article 125. Breach of rules for transplantation operations.

Article 126. Enforced donation of parts of the body or tissues.

Article 127. Subjecting a person to medical or scientific experiment without the consent of the latter.

Article 128. Abandonment in danger.

Article 129. Failure to help the patient.

Article 130. Failure to implement or improper implementation of professional duties by medical and support personnel.

 

 

Chapter 17. Crimes against human freedom, honor and dignity.

 

Article 131. Kidnapping.

Article 132. Trafficking

Article 133. Illegal deprivation of  freedom.

Article 134. Illegal placing or keeping in a psychiatry hospital.

Article 135. Libel.

Article 136. Insult.

Article 137. Threat to murder, to inflict heavy damage to one’s health or to destroy property.

 

Chapter 18. Crimes against sexual immunity and sexual freedom.

 

Article 138. Rape.

Article 139. Violent sexual actions.

Article 140. Forced violent sexual acts.

Article 141. Sexual acts with a person under 16.

Article 142. Lecherous acts.

 

Chapter 19. Crimes against constitutional human rights and freedoms of citizens.

 

Article 143. Breach of citizens’ legal equality.

Article 144. Illegal collecting, keeping, use and dissemination of information pertaining to personal or family life.

Article 145. Divulging medical secrets.

Article 146. Violation of the secrecy of correspondence, telephone conversations, postal, telegraph or other communications.

Article 147. Breach of inviolability of the dwelling.

Article 148. Refusal to provide information to a person.

Article 149. Hindrance to implementation of the right to elect, to the work of election commissions or to the implementation of the authority of the person participating in elections.

Article 150. Forgery of election or voting results.

Article 151. Dissemination of libelous information about a candidate, a party (association of parties) during elections.

Article 152. Breach of the procedure for compilation of voters lists.

Article 153. Voting more than once or instead of another person.

Article 154. Breaching the confidentiality of ballot.

Article 155. Forcing to refuse from participation in a strike or forcing to participate in a strike.

Article 156. Ungrounded refusal to hire a pregnant woman or a person with a child under 3 years of age, or ungrounded dismissal.

Article 157. Breach of labor protection rules.

Article 158. Breach of copyright and adjacent rights.

Article 159. Breach of patent law.

Article 160. Hindrance to the right to exercise freedom of conscience or religion.

Article 161. Hindrance to the right to establish associations (non-governmental organizations or trade unions) or parties, or hindrance to their activities.

Article 162. Establishment or management of associations encroaching upon citizens’ rights or against the individual.

Article 163. Hindrance to holding meetings, rallies, demonstrations and processions or to participation therein.

Article 164. Hindrance to the legal professional activities of a journalist

Chapter 20.

Crimes against the interests of family and child.

 

Article 165. Involving a minor into committal of crime.

Article 166. Involving a child into antisocial activity.

Article 167. Illegal separation of the child from the parents or substitution of the child.

Article 168. Child trafficking.

Article 169. Divulging the secret of adoption.

Article 170. Failure to fulfill the duty of rearing the child.

Article 171. Failure to fulfill or improper fulfillment of one’s duties to provide the child’s safety or health.

Article 172. Abuse of the custodian’s or guardian’s rights.

Article 173. Willful evasion from supporting one’s child by the parent.

Article 174. Willful failure of the offspring to support a parent who is incapable to work.

 

 

Section 8.

Crimes against property, economy and implementation of economic activity.

 

Chapter 21. Crimes against property.

 

Article 175. Banditry.

Article 176. Robbery.

Article 177. Theft.

Article 178. Swindling.

Article 179. Squandering or embezzlement.

Article 180. Theft of particularly valuable items.

Article 181. Theft committed by using a computer.

Article 182. Extortion.

Article 183. Gaining illegal control of a car or other means of transportation without the intention of theft.

Article 184. Infliction of damage to property by deception or abuse of confidence.

Article 185. Willful destruction or spoilage of property.

Article 186. Destruction or damage inflicted to property by negligence.

 

Chapter 22.

Crimes against economic activities.

 

Article 187. Hindrance to legal entrepreneurial and other economic activity.

Article 188. Illegal entrepreneurial activity.

Article 189. False entrepreneurial activity.

Article 190. Legitimizing (legalizing) illegally obtained income.

Article 191. Not purposeful spending of a loan.

Article 192. Illegitimate actions in bankruptcy.

Article 193. Deliberate bankruptcy.

Article 194. Fictitious bankruptcy.

Article 195. Illegal anti-competition activity.

Article 196. Willful breach of procedure for public procurement.

Article 197. Illegal use of trade mark.

Article 198. Fictitious advertising.

Article 199. Illegal collection or divulging of commercial or banking secrets.

Article 200. Commercial bribe.

Article 201. Bribing the participants and organizers of professional and commercial sports competitions or shows.

Article 202. Manufacture, sale or keeping of counterfeited money or securities.

Article 203. Manufacture and sale of forged payment documents.

Article 204. Abuse of securities emission.

Article 205. Evasion from taxes, duties or other mandatory payments.

Article 206. Evasion from taxes by a citizen.

Article 207. Manufacture and sale of fake wine, fake vodka or other fake alcohol beverages.

Article 208. Forgery and sale of excise stamps.

Article 209. Alienation of excise stamps or marking goods with illegally procured excise stamps

Article 210. Selling goods subject to marking with excise stamps unmarked or not re-marked.

Article 211. Breach of rules for marking with excise stamps

Article 212. Deception of consumers.

Article 213. Usury.

Article 214. Abuse of authority by the employees of commercial or other organizations.

Article 215. Contraband.

Article 216. Acquisition or sale of property obtained in an obviously criminal way.

 

 

Section 9. Crimes against public security, computer data security, public order and morality, and public health.

 

Chapter 23. Crimes against public security.

 

Article 217. Terrorism.

Article 218. Taking hostages.

Article 219. Occupation of buildings, facilities, means of transportation and communication.

Article 220. Piracy.

Article 221. Hijacking or capture of an aircraft, ship or train.

Article 222. Banditry.

Article 223. Creation of criminal associations or participation in criminal association.

Article 224. Creation of armed formations not provided by the law or participation therein.

Article 225. Mass disorder.

Article 226. Inciting national, racial or religious hatred.

Article 227. Breach of safety regulations at nuclear energy facilities.

Article 228. Breach of safety regulations when operating sources of ionizing radiation.

Article 229. Breach of safety regulations for the operation of electron, proton, heavy ion accelerators.

Article 230. Breach of safety regulations during mining, construction or other works.

Article 231. Breach of safety regulations at facilities with explosion hazard.

Article 232. Breach of fire-safety regulations.

Article 233. Illegal turnover of radioactive materials.

Article 234. Theft or extortion of radioactive materials.

Article 235. Illegal procurement, transportation or carrying of weapons, ammunition, explosives or explosive devices.

Article 236. Illegal manufacture of weapons.

Article 237. Improper performance of the duties of safekeeping of weapons, ammunition, explosives and explosive devices or failure thereof.

Article 238. Theft or extortion of weapons, ammunition, explosives and explosive devices.

Article 239. Negligent warehousing of fire-arms.

Article 240. Breach of rules for warehousing, accounting, transportation, delivery or use of flammable or pyrotechnic materials.

Article 241. Breach of safety and operation rules for rail, air or water traffic.

Article 242. Breach of traffic rules and operation of means of transportation.

Article 243. Drunk driving or driving by a person under 16 years of age.

Article 244. Abandonment of the site of road accident.

Article 245. Poor-quality repair of means of transportation or operation of means of transportation with malfunctions.

Article 246. Spoilage of means of transportation or communication lines.

Article 247. Breach of rules providing safe operation of transport.

Article 248. Breach of safety rules for construction, operation and repair of main pipe-lines.

Article 249. Captain’s failure to help a ship in distress.

Article 250. Breach of rules for international flights.

 

 

Chapter 24.

Crimes against computer information security.

 

Article 251. Access (penetration) into computer information system without permission.

Article 252. Change in computer information.

Article 253. Computer sabotage.

Article 254. Illegal appropriation of computer data.

Article 255. Manufacture or sale of special devices for illegal penetration into a computer system or network.

Article 256. Manufacture, use and dissemination of hazardous software.

Article 257. Breach of rules for operation of a computer system or network.

 

Chapter 25. Crimes against public order and morality.

 

Article 258. Hooliganism.

Article 259. Making a false statement about terrorism.

Article 260. Vandalism.

Article 261. Involvement into prostitution.

Article 262. Maintaining dens of prostitution or pimping.

Article 263. Illegal dissemination of pornographic materials or items.

Article 264. Destruction or damage of monuments of history and culture.

Article 265. Outrageous treatment of dead bodies or burial places.

 

 

Chapter 26.

Crimes against the health of the population.

 

Article 266. Illegal turnover of narcotic drugs or psychotropic materials with the purpose of sale.

Article 267. Breach of regulations for manufacture, procurement, keeping, accounting, dispensing, transportation or supply of narcotic drugs or psychotropic materials

Article 268. Illegal turnover of narcotic drugs or psychotropic materials without the purpose of sale.

Article 269. Theft or extortion of narcotic drugs or psychotropic materials.

Article 270. Illegal transfer of narcotic drugs or psychotropic materials or forgery of recipes or other documents which entitle their receipt.

Article 271. Use of narcotic drugs.

Article 272. Abetting or involving into use of narcotic or psychotropic drugs.

Article 273. Illegal cultivation or raising of herbs prohibited for processing, containing narcotic, psychotropic or toxic substances.

Article 274. Organization and maintaining of dens for the use of narcotic or psychotropic drugs.

Article 275. Illegal turnover of strong or toxic substances for the purpose of sale.

Article 276. Breach of rules for manufacture, procurement, keeping, accounting, transfer, transportation or supply of strong or toxic materials.

Article 277. Breach of sanitation and epidemic regulations.

Article 278. Concealing information about circumstances dangerous for human life or health.

Article 279. Manufacture or sale of goods, or performing work, or providing services which do not meet safety requirements.

Article 280. Illegal private medical or pharmaceutical practice, manufacture or sale of false drugs.

 

 

Section 10. Crimes against environmental safety

 

Chapter 27. Crimes against environmental safety.

 

Article 281. Breach of ecological safety rules when implementing work.

Article 282. Willful distortion or concealing of information about pollution of environment.

Article 283. Failure to take measures to eliminate the consequences of environmental pollution.

Article 284. Breach of safety rules when handling dangerous chemical and biological materials and waste.

Article 285. Breach of safety rules for handling other dangerous chemical or biological agents or poisonous materials.

Article 286. Breach of established veterinary rules or rules for struggle against plant diseases and vermin.

.Article 287. Pollution of water.

Article 288. Pollution of marine environment.

Article 289. Pollution of atmospheric air.

Article 290. Spoilage of soil.

Article 291. Breach of rules for protection and use of mineral resources.

Article 292. Illegal harvesting of aquatic flora and fauna.

Article 293. Breach of rules for protection of fish stocks

Article 294. Illegal hunting.

Article 295. Obliteration of habitat of rare and endangered species registered in the Article 296. Illegal tree and bush cutting.

Article 297. Obliteration or damage of forest.

Article 298. Breach of regime of specially protected nature zones.

 

 

 

Section 11. Crimes against state power.

 

Chapter 28. Crimes against foundations of constitutional order or against state security.

 

Article 299. High treason.

Article 300. Usurping state power.

Article 301. Public calls for changing the constitutional order of the Republic of Armenia by force.

0Article 302. Espionage.

Article 303. Sabotage.

Article 304. Wrecking.

Article 305. Assassination of a state, political or public figure.

Article 306. Divulging a state secret.

Article 307. Breach of rules for handling documents containing state secrets or computer data.

Chapter 29.

Crimes against state service.

 

Article 308. Abuse of official authority.

Article 309. Exceeding official authorities.

Article 310. Illegal participation in entrepreneurial activity.

Article 311. Taking bribes.

Article 312. Giving a bribe.

Article 313. Bribery mediation.

Article 314. Official forgery.

Article 315. Official negligence.

 

Chapter 30. Crimes against procedure of governance.

 

Article 316. Violence against a representative of authorities.

Article 317. Willful appropriation of title or authority of an official.

Article 318. Insulting a representative of authorities.

Article 319. Hindrance to the institutions executing punishment, detention or arrest.

Article 320. Illegal use of the Red Cross or Red Crescent symbol.

Article 321. Damaging communication lines.

Article 322. Arrogation.

Article 323. Theft of state decorations.

Article 324. Theft of damage to documents, stamps or seals.

Article 325. Forgery, sale or use of forged documents, stamps, seals, letter-heads, vehicle license plates.

Article 326. Sale or purchase of official documents or state decorations.

Article 327. Evasion from regular military service or training exercises.

Article 328. Evasion from labor services or taxes during war time.

Article 329. Illegal state border crossing.

Article 330. Removal or destruction of a state border mark.

Article 331. Contempt of state symbols.

 

Chapter 31. Crimes against justice.

 

Article 332. Hindrance to administration of justice and conducting investigation.

Article 333. False crime reporting.

Article 334. Concealment of crime.

Article 335. Failure to report crime.

Article 336. Subjecting an obviously innocent person to criminal liability.

Article 337. Hindrance to the appearance or testimony of the witness or the aggrieved.

Article 338. Obviously false testimony or obviously false conclusion, or obviously incorrect translation.

Article 339. Refusal from testimony.

Article 340. Bribing or forcing to make a false testimony, or false conclusion, or incorrect translation.

Article 341. Forcing testimony by the judge, by the prosecutor, by the investigator or by the person in charge of inquiry.

Article 342. Divulging the data of inquiry or investigation.

Article 343. Contemptuous treatment of court.

Article 344. Slandering the judge, the prosecutor, the investigator or the person in charge of inquiry, marshal of the court.

Article 345. Illegal treatment of property under arrest or forfeiture.

Article 346. Willful failure by a personal guarantor to implement one’s obligations.

Article 347. Threat or violence in relation to preliminary investigation or administration of justice.

Article 348. Obviously illegal detention or arrest.

Article 349. Forgery of evidence.

Article 350. Entrapment for bribe or commercial bribe.

Article 351. Illegal exemption from criminal liability.

Article 352. Adoption of an obviously unjust court sentence, verdict or other court act.

Article 353. Failure to carry out a court act.

Article 354. Evasion from serving a sentence in the form of imprisonment.

Article 355. Escape from the place of imprisonment, arrest or custody.

 

Section 12. Crimes against military service.

 

Chapter 32. Crimes against military service.

 

 

Article 356. Failure to carry out an order.

Article 357. Resistance to commander or forcing him to breach his service duties.

Article 358. Violence against the commander.

Article 359. Breach of relations, prescribed by field manuals, between not subordinated servicemen.

Article 360. Insulting a serviceman.

Article 361. Absence without leave from the military unit or place of service.

Article 362. Desertion.

Article 363. Evasion from military service by maiming, feigned disease or other illegal means.

Article 364. Refusal from performing one’s military duties.

Article 365. Violation of combat duty regulations.

Article 366. Breach of border-guarding regulations.

Article 367. Breach of guarding or patrolling regulations.

Article 368. Breach of internal service regulations.

Article 369. Willful destruction or damage of military property.

Article 370. Destruction or damage to military property by negligence.

Article 371. Embezzlement of military property.

Article 372. Loss or spoilage of military property.

Article 373. Breach of rules for handling weapons, ammunition and items dangerous for others.

Article 374. Handing over weapons, ammunition, other military property, as well as materials or items dangerous for the environment to others.

Article 375. Abuse of power, transgression of authority or administrative dereliction.

Article 376. Negligent service.

Article 377. Breach of rules for driving or operating vehicles.

Article 378. Breach of rules for flights or their preparation.

Article 379. Abandonment or hand-over of weapons and ammunition to the enemy.

Article 380. Willful abandonment of battle field or refusal to use weapons.

Article 381. Voluntary surrender.

Article 382. Criminal actions of a POW.

Article 383. Plunder.

 

Section 13. Crimes against peace and human security

 

Chapter 33. Crimes against peace and human security

 

 

Article 384. Aggressive war.

Article 385. Public calls for aggressive war.

Article 386. Manufacture or proliferation of mass destruction weapons.

Article 387. Application of prohibited methods of war.

Article 388. Terrorism against the representative of a foreign country or international organization.

Article 389. International terrorism

Article 390. Serious breach of international humanitarian law during armed conflicts.

Article 391. Inaction or making an illegal command during armed conflict.

Article 392. Crimes against human security.

Article 393. Genocide.

Article 394. Ecocide.

Article 395. Mercenaries.

Article 396. Assault on persons or organizations under international protection.

Article 397. Illegal use of identification signs protected by international treaties.

 

Section 14. Closing provisions.

 

Chapter. 34. Closing provisions.

 

Article 398. Making the law effective.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

April 11, 2003 draft

 

Republic of Armenia

Criminal Code

 

General Part

 

Section 1. Criminal legislation

 

Chapter 1. Principles and objectives of criminal legislation

 

Article 1. Criminal legislation of the Republic of Armenia.

1.      Criminal legislation of the Republic of Armenia consists of this Code. New laws which envisage criminal liability are incorporated into the Criminal Code.

2.      The Criminal Code is based on the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia and international principles and norms.

 

Article 2. The objectives of the Criminal Code.

1.      The objectives of the Criminal Code are as follows: to protect from criminal encroachment human and citizens’ rights and freedoms, the rights of legal entities, property, the environment, public order and security, constitutional order, as well as to prevent crime.

2.      To implement these objectives, the Criminal Code stipulates the grounds for criminal liability and the principles of criminal legislation, and determines which dangerous acts are considered criminal offences for the society and establishes the types of punishment for the committal of these acts and other penal and legal measures.

 

Article 3. The grounds for criminal liability.

The only ground for criminal liability is crime, i.e., committal of an act which incorporates all elements of crime, envisaged by criminal law.

 

Article 4. Principles of criminal legislation.

The Criminal Code is based on the principles of legitimacy, equality before the law, inevitable liability, personal liability, liability in accordance with the offence, individuality of justice and liability, and humanism.

 

Article 5. Principle of legitimacy.

1.      It is only the criminal law that decides whether the act is criminal and punishable, as well as other criminal and legal consequences.

2.      The application of criminal law by analogy is prohibited.

 

Article 6. Principle of equality before the law.

The persons who committed a crime are equal before the law and are subject to criminal liability regardless of sex, race, color, language, religion, political or other beliefs, national or social origin, ethnic minority identity, birth, property, or other statuses.

 

Article 7. Principle of inevitability of liability.

1.      Each person who committed a crime is subject to the punishment envisaged by criminal law or other legal and penal measures.

2.      Exemption from criminal liability and punishment is possible only in the event of the grounds and conditions envisaged in the Criminal Code.

 

Article 8. Principle of personal liability.

The individual is subject to criminal liability only for the offence committed personally.

 

Article 9. Principle of liability in accordance with the offence.

1.      The person is subject to criminal liability only for the socially dangerous action or inaction and its socially dangerous consequences, of which he was found guilty by a competent court.

2.      Objective incrimination, i.e., criminal liability for infliction of damage without guilt, is prohibited.

 

Article 10. Principle of individuality of justice and liability.

1.      The punishment and other legal and penal measures applied to the person who committed an offence must be fair, appropriate to the gravity of the crime, to the circumstances in which it was committed, to the personality of the criminal; they must be necessary and sufficient to correct the criminal and to prevent new offences.

2.      The repeated conviction of the person for the committal of the same crime is prohibited.

 

Article 11. Humanitarian principle.

1.      The Criminal Code serves to provide the physical, mental, financial, ecological, etc. security of man.

2.      No one shall be subjected to torture or cruel, inhuman or humiliating treatment or punishment.

 

 

Chapter 2.

Operation of the criminal law in time and space

 

Article 12. Operation of the criminal law in time

1.        The criminality and punishability of the act is determined by the acting criminal law at the time of committal of the offence.

2.        The time of committal of crime is the time when socially dangerous action (inaction) was committed, regardless when the consequences started to take effect.

 

Article 13. Retroactive effect of criminal law.

1.      The law eliminating the criminality of the act, mitigating the punishment or improving the status of the criminal in any way, has retroactive effect, i.e., this law is extended to the persons who committed this act before this law had taken effect, including those persons who are serving the punishment or served the punishment, but have a record of conviction.

2.      The law stipulating the criminality of the act, making the punishment more severe or worsening the status of the criminal in any other way, has no retroactive effect.

3.      The law partially mitigating the punishment and, in the meantime, partially making the punishment more severe has retroactive effect only in respect to the part which mitigates the punishment.

 

Article 14. The effect of the criminal law with regard to persons who committed crime in the territory of the Republic of Armenia.

1.      The person who committed a crime in the territory of the Republic of Armenia is subject to liability under the Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia.

2.      The crime is considered committed in the territory of the Republic of Armenia when:

1)      it started, continued or finished in the territory of the Republic of Armenia;

2)      it was committed in complicity with the persons who committed crimes in other countries.

3.      In case of crimes committed in the territory of the Republic of Armenia and other states, the person’s liability arises under the Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia, if the person was subjected to criminal liability in the territory of the Republic of Armenia and unless an international treaty of the Republic of Armenia prescribes otherwise.

4.      The person who committed a crime on board of a ship or flying aircraft bearing the flag or the identification of the Republic of Armenia is subject to criminal liability, regardless of their whereabouts, under the Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia, unless otherwise stipulated in an international treaty of the Republic of Armenia. Also subject to liability under the Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia, is the person who committed a crime on board of a military ship or aircraft of the Republic of Armenia, regardless of their location

5.      The issue of the criminal liability of foreign diplomatic representatives and other persons enjoying diplomatic immunity, in the case of committal of crime by the latter in the territory of the Republic of Armenia, is resolved in accordance with the norms of international law.

 

Article 15. Effect of criminal law with regard to persons who committed crimes outside the territory of the Republic of Armenia.

1.      The citizens of the Republic of Armenia who committed crime outside the territory of the Republic of Armenia, as well as stateless persons permanently residing in the Republic of Armenia, are subject to criminal liability under the Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia, if the act committed by them is recognized as a crime in the legislation of the state where the crime was committed, and if they were not convicted in another state. When convicting the above mentioned persons, the punishment can not exceed the upper limit for punishment in the state where the crime was committed.

2.      The citizens of the Republic of Armenia who committed crime outside the territory of the Republic of Armenia, as well as stateless persons permanently residing in the Republic of Armenia, are subject to criminal liability under Articles 384, 386-391, 393-397 of this Criminal Code, regardless whether the act is considered or not considered a crime in the state where the crime was committed.

3.      Foreign citizens and stateless persons not permanently residing in the Republic of Armenia, who committed a crime outside the territory of the Republic of Armenia, are subject to criminal liability under the Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia, if they committed:

1)      such crimes which are provided in an international treaty of the Republic of Armenia;

2)      such grave and particularly grave crimes which are directed against the interests of the Republic of Armenia or  the rights and freedoms of the RA citizens.

 

4.      The rules established in part 3 of this Article are applicable if the foreign citizens and stateless persons not permanently residing in the Republic of Armenia, have not been convicted for this crime in another state and are subjected to criminal liability in the territory of the Republic of Armenia.

 

Article 16. Extradition of persons who committed a crime.

1.      The citizens of the Republic of Armenia who committed a crime in another state are not extradited to that state.

2.      In accordance with an international treaty of the Republic of Armenia, the foreign citizens and the stateless persons who committed a crime outside the territory of the Republic of Armenia and who find themselves in the Republic of Armenia, can be extradited to a foreign state, for criminal liability or to serve the punishment.

3.      The persons specified in part 2 of this Article are not extradited to foreign states if there are serious reasons to believe that they can be subjected to torture there.

4.      If the legislation of the country seeking extradition of persons who committed a crime envisages death penalty for the given crime, then the extradition of persons who committed a crime can be turned down, unless the party seeking extradition presents satisfying assurances to this country that the death penalty will not be executed.

5.      In case of refusal to extradite the person who committed a crime, the prosecution for the crime committed in the territory of a foreign country is done in accordance with the legislation of the Republic of Armenia.

 

Article 17. Legal significance of a person’s conviction outside the RA

1.      The court ruling in a foreign country can be taken into account, provided the RA citizen, foreign citizen or a stateless person was convicted for a crime committed outside the RA, and committed a repeated crime in the RA.

2.      In accordance with part 1 of this article, recidivism, unserved punishment or other legal consequences of a foreign court ruling are taken into account when qualifying the new crime, assigning punishment, and exempting from criminal liability or punishment.

 

Section 2. Crime.

 

Chapter 3. The notion and types of crime.

 

Article 18. The notion of crime.

1.      The willful committal of a socially dangerous act envisaged in this Code is considered a crime.

2.      The act or inaction which may formally contain the features of an act envisaged in this Code, but which, however, does not present public danger because of its little  significance, i.e. it did not cause or could not have caused significant damage to an individual or a legal entity, to the society or the state, is not considered a crime.

 

Article 19. Types of crime.

1.      Crimes are categorized, by nature and degree of social danger, as not very grave, medium gravity, grave and particularly grave.

2.      The willful acts, for the committal of which this Code envisages maximal imprisonment of two years, or for which a punishment not related to imprisonment is envisaged, as well as acts committed through negligence, for which this Code envisages a punishment not exceeding three years of imprisonment, are considered not very grave crimes.

3.      Medium-gravity crimes are those willful acts for which this Code envisages a maximal punishment not exceeding five years of imprisonment, and the acts committed through negligence, for which this Code envisages a maximal punishment not exceeding ten years of imprisonment.

4.      Grave crimes are those willful acts for which this Code envisages a maximal punishment not exceeding ten years of imprisonment.

5.      Particularly grave crimes are those willful acts for which this Code envisages a maximal imprisonment for more than ten years or for life.

 

Article 20. Aggregate of crimes.

1.      The following is considered an aggregate of crimes:

1)      committal of two or more crimes stipulated by different articles or  different sections of the same article of this Code, for none of which the person has been convicted;

2)      a single act (inaction) which incorporates the features of crimes envisaged in two or more articles of this Code.

2.      In case of aggregate of crimes, the person is liable for each crime, under the relevant article of this Code, or part of the article.

 

Article 21. Repeated crime

1.      The committal of two or more offenses under the same article of the Special Part of this Code or part of the article are considered repeated crimes.

2.      The repeatedness envisaged in part 1 of this Article is absent in the on-going crime which consists of two or more acts united by one general criminal intent.

3.      The committal of a crime envisaged by two or more articles of this Code is considered repeated only for cases specified in the Special Part of this Code.

4.      There is no repeatedness if the person was legally exempted from criminal liability for a past crime or the record of conviction for this crime was expunged.

 

Article 22. Recidivism.

1.      The committal of a willful crime by the person who had a criminal record in the past for a willful crime, is considered recidivism.

2.      Recidivism is considered dangerous:

1)      in the case of a willfully committed crime, if the person had been previously sentenced to imprisonment for willful crime no less than twice;

2)      in the case of committal of a grave crime, if the person had been previously sentenced to imprisonment for the committal of a grave or particularly grave crime.

3.      Repeated crime is considered particularly dangerous:

1)      in the case of committal of such a crime for which he is sentenced to imprisonment, if, in the past, the person had been sentenced to imprisonment no less than thrice, in any sequence, for willful medium-gravity crimes, for grave or particularly grave crimes;

2)      in the case of committal of a grave crime for which he is sentenced to imprisonment, if in the past the person had been sentenced to imprisonment twice for grave or particularly grave crimes.

3)      In the case of committal of a particularly grave crime by the person, if in the past the person had been convicted for a grave or particularly grave crime.

4.      The crime for which the criminal record has been quashed by procedure established in this Code, as well as the crime committed before the age of 18, is not taken into account when determining recidivism.

 

 

Chapter 4.

Persons subject to criminal liability.

 

Article 23. General conditions of criminal liability.

Only a sane physical person who at the time of crime committal has reached the age established in this Code is subject to criminal liability.

 

Article 24. The age at which a person is subject to criminal liability.

1.      The person who reached the age of 16 before the committal of the crime is subject to criminal liability.

2.      The persons who reached the age of 14 before the committal of the crime are subject to criminal liability for murder (Articles 104-109), for inflicting willful severe or medium damage to health (Articles 112-116), for kidnapping people (Article 131), for rape (Article 138), for violent sexual actions (Article 139), for banditry (Article 179), for theft (Article 177), for robbery (Article 176), for extortion (Article 182), getting hold of a car or other means of transportation without the intention of appropriation (Article 183), for destruction or damage of property in aggravating circumstances (Article 185, parts 2 and 3), for theft or extortion of weapons, ammunition or explosives (Article 238), for theft or extortion of narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances (Article 269), for damaging the means of transportation or communication lines (Article 246), for hooliganism (Article 258).

3.      If the person has reached the age envisaged in parts 1 or 2 of this Article, but due to retarded mental development was not able to understand the nature and significance of one’s actions or to control one’s actions, then he is not subject to criminal liability.

 

Article 25. Insanity.

1.      The person who was in the state of insanity when committing a socially dangerous  crime is not liable to criminal liability, i.e., the person could not understand the dangerous nature of one’s actions (inaction) or control one’s actions as a result of chronic mental illness, temporary mental disorder, mental retardation or other mental disease.

2.      Forced medical measures can be imposed by the court with respect to the person who committed socially dangerous actions in an insane state.

3.      Also not subject to punishment, is the person who committed a crime in the state of insanity, however, had fallen mentally ill before sentencing by the court, which deprived him of the capability of understanding the actual nature and significance of his actions (inaction) or controlling them. Forced medical measures can be imposed by the court with respect to such a person, and after recovery this person can be subjected to punishment.

 

Article 26. Limited sanity.

1.      A sane person who, due to mental disorder, when committing the crime could not entirely understand the actual nature of one’s action (inaction) and its social danger, or control one’s actions, is subject to criminal liability.

2.      Limited sanity is taken into account as a mitigating circumstance when imposing the punishment and can become the ground for the enforcement of medical measures, parallel to the punishment.

 

Article 27. Criminal liability of persons who committed crime in the state of intoxication.

1.      The person who committed a crime as a result of alcoholic, narcotic or other intoxication is not exempted from criminal liability.

2.      When sentencing an alcoholic, a drug or poison addict, the court can also impose forced medical treatment, provided there is danger of the committal of a new crime due to this addiction.

 

 

Chapter 5.

Guilt.

 

Article 28. Types of guilt.

1.      The guilt is manifested willfully or through negligence.

2.      An action committed through negligence is a crime if it is particularly envisaged in the Special Part of this Code.

 

Article 29. Committal of willful crime.

1.      A willful crime can be manifested in direct or indirect willfulness.

2.      A crime is considered directly willful if the person understood the danger of his action (inaction) for the society, had foreseen the dangerous consequences for the society and desired the emergence of these consequences.

3.      A crime is considered indirectly willful if the person understood the danger of his action (inaction) for the society, had foreseen the dangerous consequences for the society, did not desire the emergence of these consequences but knowingly allowed them to take place.

4.      If the law does not link the criminal liability for the accomplished criminal act to the emergence of certain consequences, the crime is considered willfully committed, if the person who committed it understood the danger of his actions for the society and was willing to commit it.

5.      For the aggravating circumstances of the willful crime, the person is subject to criminal liability, if the latter understood these circumstances.

 

Article 30. Committal of negligent crime.

1.      A crime committed through negligence can be manifested through self-confidence or carelessness.

2.      A crime is considered committed through self-confidence, if the person had foreseen the possible dangerous nature of one’s action (inaction) for the society, but without sufficient grounds self-confidently hoped that these consequences will be prevented.

3.      A crime is considered committed through carelessness, if the person had not foreseen the possible dangerous nature of one’s action (inaction) for the society, although in the given circumstances he was obliged and was able to foresee them.

 

Article 31. Inflicting damage without guilt

1.      An act is considered to have been committed without guilt, if the person did not understand and, in the given circumstances, could not understand the social danger of one’s actions (inaction) or did not foresee the possible socially dangerous consequences thereof, and in the given circumstances was not obliged and could not foresee them.

2.      Also, an act is considered to have been committed without guilt, if the person had foreseen the possible socially dangerous consequences of one’s action (inaction), did not wish the emergence thereof, but due to the incompatibility of one’s psychological and physiological properties with the extreme conditions or nervous and mental load, failed to prevent the emergence of these consequences.

 

Article 32. Liability for crimes with two types of guilt.

If the law envisages a more strict liability for a willful crime which caused severe consequences through negligence, then the person is liable for these consequences only when one had foreseen the possible social danger of one’s action (inaction), however, without good reason, self-confidently hoped that these consequences will be prevented, or had not foreseen the possible consequences of his socially dangerous action (inaction), although in the given circumstances one was obliged to and could foresee them. Such a crime must be considered willfully committed.

 

 

Chapter 6.

Completed and unfinished crime.

 

Article 33. Completed and unfinished crime.

1.      A crime is considered completed, if the action incorporates all the elements of crime envisaged in this Code.

2.      Attempts to commit a crime and the preparation for grave and particularly grave crimes are considered an unfinished crime.

3.      The liability for attempts to commit a crime and the preparation for crime is under the same article of the Special Part of this Code as for complete crimes, referring to Articles 34 or 35 of this Code.

 

Article 34. Attempt to commit a crime.

Attempt at a crime is the action (inaction) committed through direct willfulness immediately aimed at the committal of crime, if the crime was not finished for reasons beyond the person’s control.

 

Article 35. Preparation of crime.

Preparation of a crime is the procurement of means or tools or their adaptation for committal of a direct willful crime, as well as willful creation of other conditions for committal of crime, if the crime was not finished for reasons beyond the person’s control.

 

Article 36. Voluntary refusal from a crime.

1.      Voluntary refusal is the termination by the person of preparation or termination of action (inaction) directly aimed at the committal of crime, when the person realized the possibility of completion of the crime.

2.      The person who refused to complete the crime is not subject to criminal liability, unless his actually committed act contains other elements of crime.

3.      If the organizer of the crime, the abettor or helper refuse voluntarily, they are not subject to criminal liability, provided this person informed the state bodies or through other means and prevented the completion of the crime by the perpetrator.

4.      If the actions mentioned in part 3 of this Article did not prevent the committal of the crime by the perpetrator, then, when sentencing, these actions can serve as circumstances mitigating the liability and the sentence.

 

 

Chapter 7.

Complicity.

 

Article 37. The notion of complicity.

Willful joint participation of two or more persons in a willful crime is considered complicity.

 

Article 38. Types of accomplices.

1.        The organizer, the abettor and the helper are considered the accomplices to the perpetrator.

2.        The perpetrator is the person who immediately committed the crime or immediately participated in its committal with other persons (accomplices), as well as the one who committed the crime through the use of persons not subject to legal criminal liability or the persons who committed a crime through negligence.

3.        The organizer is the person who arranged or directed the committal of the crime, as well as, the one who created an organized group for committal of crime or criminal association or directed the latter.

4.        The abettor is the person who abetted another person to the committal of crime through persuasion, financial incentive, threat or other means.

5.        The helper is the person who assisted to the crime through pieces of advice, instructions, information or provided means, tools, or eliminated obstacles, as well as, the person who had previously promised to harbor the criminal, to hide the means and tools of crime, the traces of the crime or the items procured through crime, as well as, also, the person who had previously promised to acquire or sell such items.

 

Article 39. The liability of accomplices.

1.      The co-perpetrators are subject to liability for the crime under the same article of this Code.

2.      The organizer, the abettor and the perpetrator are subject to liability under the article which envisages the committed crime, referring to Article 38 of this Code, except those cases when they were at the same time the co-perpetrators of the crime.

3.      The person who is not a special subject of the crime in the article of the Special Part of this Code, who participated in the committal of the crime envisaged in this Article, can be liable for this crime only as an organizer, an abettor or helper.

4.      In the case when the crime was not completed for reasons beyond control of the perpetrator, the other accomplices are liable for the preparation of the crime or for complicity in the attempt at the crime.

5.      If the organizer, the abettor or the helper fail in their actions for reasons beyond their control, then these persons are liable for the preparation of the respective crime.

6.      The accomplices are subject to liability only for those aggravating circumstances of the crime of which they were aware.

7.      When subjecting the accomplices to liability, the nature and degree of the participation of each of them in the crime are taken into account.

 

Article 40. Excess of performer.

1.      Excess of performer is committal of such a crime by a person that exceeds the willfulness of other accomplices.

2.      Other accomplices are not liable for the excess of performer.

 

Article 41. Committal of crime by a group of individuals, by an organized group or by a criminal association.

1.      A crime is considered committed by a group of individuals without prior agreement, if the co-perpetrators who participated in the crime did not previously agree to commit the crime jointly.

2.      A crime is considered committed by a group of individuals with prior agreement, if the co-perpetrators who participated in the crime, prior to the commencement of the crime, agreed to commit the crime jointly.

3.      A crime is considered committed by an organized group, if it was committed by a stable group of persons who previously united to commit one or more crimes.

4.      A crime is considered committed by a criminal association, if it was committed by a consolidated organized group created to commit grave or particularly grave crimes, or by uniting an organized group for the same purposes, as well as if it was committed by a member (members) of the association to achieve his criminal purposes, as well as, committal of a crime by a person not considered a member of the association, by instruction of the criminal association.

5.      The person who created or directed an organized group, a criminal association, is subject to liability in cases envisaged in the appropriate articles of this Code: for the creation or direction of an organized group or criminal association, as well as, for all crimes committed by them, if they were involved by his willfulness. Other persons involved in the criminal association are subject to liability for participation in this organization and for those crimes which they committed or prepared.

6.      The persons mentioned in this Article incur liability without referral to Article 38 of the Special Part of this Code.

 

 

 

 

Chapter 8.

Circumstances excluding the criminality of the act.

 

Article 42. Necessary defense.

1.      The action committed in the state of necessary defense, is not considered a crime, i.e., when defending the life, health and rights of the defender or other person, or defending the state interests from socially dangerous encroachments, or from a real threat, defending oneself by inflicting damage to the perpetrator of the encroachment, provided the necessary defense was not exceeded.

2.      When defending a person’s life from dangerous violence or real threat of such violence, any damage can be inflicted, including death.

3.      The person is entitled to the right of necessary defense, regardless of the possibility to avoid the encroachment or to appeal to other persons or state bodies, as well as, regardless of the person’s special training or official position.

4.      Such deliberate actions which obviously for the self-defender are inadequate with the nature and extent of danger of the encroachment are considered acts of excessive defense.

5.      Use of weapon or any other means or objects for the purpose of defense from assault of an armed person or assault of a group of persons, as well as for the purpose of prevention of illegal and forced intrusion into an apartment or other building, is not considered an act of excessive defense, irrespective of the degree of damage incurred by the offender.

 

Article 43. Inflicting damage when capturing the perpetrator.

1.      The actions whereby damage was inflicted to the perpetrator when capturing him, in order to hand him over to the authorized bodies or to prevent him from committing new socially dangerous actions, are not considered a crime, provided the necessary measures have not been exceeded.

2.      The measures necessary to capture the perpetrator are considered excessive, if there is obvious disproportion between the capturing measures and the danger of the action and the perpetrator, as well as, the circumstances of capture, as a result of which damage was willfully inflicted to the person which was not determined by the necessity of capturing.

3.      The act of excessive damage inflicted when capturing the perpetrator is a crime, if this is particularly envisaged in the Special Part of this Code.

4.      Except specially authorized parsons, the aggrieved person and other citizens also are entitled to capture the perpetrator of the crime.

 

Article 44. Urgent necessity.

1.      Inflicting damage to the interests protected by criminal law in the state of urgent necessity, is not considered a crime, i.e., to eliminate the imminent danger to the life, health, rights and legal interests of the given person or persons, to the interests of the society or the state, if this danger could not be eliminated by other means and no limits of urgent necessity have been exceeded.

2.      Willfully inflicted damage obviously disproportionate to the imminent danger, its degree and the considerations of elimination of the danger, when the legally protected interests suffered equal or greater damage compared to the prevented damage, is considered exceeding of urgent necessity.

 

Article 45. Physical or psychiatric enforcement.

1.      Inflicting damage to the interests protected by criminal law by means of physical or psychiatric enforcement, is not considered a crime, if as a result of this enforcement the person could not control his actions (inaction).

2.      The issue of criminal liability, when damage is inflicted to legally protected interests by means of physical or psychiatric enforcement, which do not deprive  the person of the capability of controlling one’s actions, is resolved taking into account the propositions of Article 46 of this Code.

 

Article 46. Justified risk.

1.      Inflicting damage to the interests protected by criminal law is not considered a crime, when undertaking justified risk to achieve socially useful goals.

2.      Risk is considered justified, if the mentioned goal could not be achieved without an action (or inaction) of risk, and when the risking person takes measures to prevent the danger to the interests protected by criminal law.

3.      Risk is considered unjustified, if it obviously involves the death of third persons, or the threat of an ecological or public disaster.

 

Article 47. Execution of an order or instruction.

1.      Inflicting damage to the interests protected by criminal law, by the person who acted pursuant to compulsory, appropriately given order or instruction, is not considered a crime. The person who gave such illegal order or instruction is liable for that.

2.      The person who committed a willful crime by obviously illegal order or instruction is liable on common grounds.

3.      Refusal to execute an obviously illegal order or instruction is an exemption from criminal liability.

 

 

Section 3. Punishment.

 

Chapter 9.

Notion of punishment, purposes and types.

 

Article 48. The notion of punishment and its purposes.

1.      Punishment is a means of state enforcement assigned by court sentence on behalf of the state to the person who has been found guilty of the crime, and is expressed in deprivation or restriction of one’s rights and freedoms, as envisaged by law.

2.      The purpose of punishment is applied to restore social justice, to correct the punished person, and to prevent crimes.

 

Article 49. Types of punishment.

The types of punishment are:

1)      a fine;

2)      prohibition to hold certain posts or practice certain professions;

3)      public works;

4)      deprivation of  special titles or military ranks, categories, degrees or qualification class;

5)      confiscation of property;

6)      correctional labor;

7)      arrest;

8)      service in disciplinary battalion;

9)      imprisonment for a certain term;

10)  life sentence.

 

Article 50. Basic and supplementary punishments.

1.        Public works, correctional labor, arrest, service in disciplinary battalion, imprisonment for a certain term and life sentence are used only as basic punishments.

2.        Fines and the prohibition to hold certain posts or practice certain professions are imposed both as basic and supplementary punishments.

3.        Deprivation of  special titles or military ranks, categories, degrees or qualification class, as well as confiscation of property are applied only as an supplementary punishments.

4.        Only one basic punishment can be assigned for one crime. One or more supplementary punishment can be added to the basic punishment in cases envisaged in the Special part of this Code.

5.        Fines, confiscation of property and the prohibition to hold certain posts or practice certain professions, as supplementary punishment, can be assigned only in cases envisaged in the Special Part of this Code.

 

Article 51. Fines.

1.      A fine is a financial punishment imposed in the amount of 30 to 1000 minimal salaries as established by law of the Republic of Armenia at the moment of fining.

2.      The court determines the amount of the fine, taking into account the nature and gravity of the crime, as well as, the property status of the convicted person.

3.      If the convicted person, due to personal or financial situation, is incapable of immediately paying the fine in full, the court establishes a payment deadline, up to 1 year, or allows to pay the fine on installment within the same period. This privilege is null and void, if the convicted person fails to pay the portions of the mentioned amount on time.

4.      In case of impossibility to pay the fine, the court can substitute the fine or unpaid part thereof with public works counting 10 hours of public works as minimal salary.

 

Article 52. Deprivation of the right to hold certain posts or practice certain professions.

1.      Deprivation of  the right to hold certain posts is a prohibition to hold certain positions in state and local self-government bodies, organizations, and the deprivation of  practicing certain professions is a prohibition to hold certain occupations related to the nature of the crime.

2.      Prohibition to hold certain posts or practice certain professions, as a basic punishment is established for the term of 2 to 7 years for willful crimes, and from 1 to 5 years, for crimes through negligence, and as an supplementary punishment, from 1 to 3 years.

3.      Deprivation of the right to hold certain posts or to practice certain professions can be applied in cases when the court, basing on the nature of the crime committed by the offender during the period of his/her holding the post or practicing certain a profession, does not find it possible for him/her to hold certain posts or to practice certain professions.

 

Article 53. Deprivation of  special titles or military ranks, categories, degrees or qualification class

When convicting a person for the committal of grave or particularly grave crimes, the court, taking into account the features characteristic of the perpetrator, can deprive the latter from  special titles or military ranks, categories, degrees or qualification class.

 

Article 54. Public works

1.      Public work is the execution of free socially useful, authorized work by the convict at the expense of his leisure time after basic work or classes, as determined by local self-government bodies.

2.      The duration of assigned public works shall amount to 360-1500 hours.

3.      Public work is assigned as an alternative punishment to imprisonment, in case of written consent of the person to be convicted, which is submitted before the court decision is made, following the time periods set forth in this Code.

4.      Public work is not assigned to first or second degree disabled, persons under 16 at the time of sentencing, pension-age persons, pregnant women and drafted servicemen.

5.      In case of ill-faith evasion from performing public work, the court replaces the unperformed part of the public work by arrest or imprisonment of a certain period, within the time periods set forth in this Code.

 

 

Article 55. Confiscation of property.

1.      Confiscation of property is the enforced and uncompensated seizure of the property considered to be the convict’s property or part thereof in favor of the state.

2.      The amount of confiscation is determined by the court, taking into consideration the damage to property inflicted by the crime, as well as amount of criminally acquired property. The amount of confiscation can not exceed the amount of criminally acquired property or profit.

3.      Confiscation of property can be assigned in cases envisaged in the Special Part of this Code and for grave and particularly grave crimes committed with mercenary motives.

4.      The property necessary for the convict or the persons under his care is not subject to confiscation, in accordance with the list envisaged by law.

 

Article 56. Correctional labor

1.      Correctional labor is assigned for the term of from 2 months to 2 years, in accordance with the list in the court ruling, the convict executes this either at his work place or by appointment of correctional labor bodies, in other places within the residence region of the convict.

2.      As prescribed in the court ruling, 5-20% of the earnings of the convict sentenced to correctional labor is deducted in favor of the state.

3.      In case of willful evasion from correctional labor by the sentenced person, the court can substitute the unserved part of correctional labor with arrest or imprisonment, counting 1 day of arrest as 2 days of correctional labor, or 1 day of imprisonment as 3 days of correctional labor.

 

Article 57. Arrest.

1.      Arrest is keeping the convict in a correctional institution in custody in strict isolation from the society. The court assigns arrest for the term of 15 days to 3 months and only in those cases in which arrest was not selected as a measure of restraint.

2.      Persons under 16 years of age at the time of sentencing, pregnant women and persons caring for children under 8 years of age, are not put under arrest.

3.      Servicemen serve their arrest in military houses of arrest.

 

Article 58. Keeping in disciplinary battalion.

1.      Keeping a conscripted serviceman in the disciplinary battalion, from 3 months to 2 years, can be assigned in cases envisaged in the Special Part, as well as in those cases when the court taking into account the circumstances of the case and the personality of the convict, finds it expedient to replace a maximum two-year imprisonment with the disciplinary battalion for the same term.

2.      Replacement of imprisonment with the disciplinary battalion can not be assigned in relation to persons who had been sentenced to imprisonment in the past.

 

 

Article 59. Imprisonment for a certain term.

1.      Imprisonment is isolation from the society in the form of keeping the convict in a correctional institution, in custody.

2.      Imprisonment can last from 3 months to 15 years.

3.      Imprisonment for a crime through negligence can not exceed 10 years.

4.      When assigning punishment by aggregate of crimes, in case of complete or partial summation of imprisonment terms, the maximal term can not exceed 15 years, and by aggregate of sentences, 20 years.

 

 

Article 60. Life sentence.

1.      Life sentence is isolation of the convict in a form of keeping him imprisoned in a corrective institution without time-limit, which in cases envisaged in this Code can be assigned for particularly grave crimes.

2.      Persons under 18 years of age at the time of committal of the crime, and women pregnant at the time of committal of the crime or sentencing, can not be sentenced to life sentence.

 

 

Chapter 10.

Assignment of punishment.

 

Article 61. General principles of assigning punishment.

1.      A fair punishment is assigned in relation to the person found guilty in the committal of a crime which is determined within the limits of the appropriate article in the Special Part of this Code, taking into account the propositions of the General Part of this Code.

2.      The type and degree of punishment is determined by the extent of social danger of the crime and its nature, by the characteristic features of the offender, including circumstances mitigating or aggravating the liability or the punishment.

3.      The most strict punishment for the crime is assigned only when the less strict type can not serve for the purposes of the punishment.

 

 

Article 62. Circumstances mitigating liability and punishment.

1.      Circumstances mitigating liability and punishment are as follows:

1)      committal of a not grave and medium-gravity crime, for the first time, by coincidental circumstances;

2)      being under age at the moment of committal of the crime;

3)      being pregnant when committing the crime or when assigning the punishment;

4)      caring for a child under 14 years of age at the moment when assigning the punishment;

5)      committal of crime as a result of hard living conditions or out of compassion;

6)      committal of crime due to breach of proportionality of necessary defense, capturing a perpetrator, urgent necessity, justified risk or carrying out orders or instructions;

7)      illegal or immoral behavior of the aggrieved which determined the crime;

8)      committal of the crime under threat or enforcement, or under financial, service or other dependence;

9)      surrender, assistance in solving the crime, exposing other participants of the crime, in searching the illegally acquired property;

10)  offering medical or other assistance to the aggrieved immediately after the crime, voluntary compensation for the property and moral damage inflicted by the crime, or other actions aimed at the mitigation of the damage inflicted to the aggrieved.

2.      When assigning a punishment, other circumstances, not mentioned in part 1 of this Article can be taken into account as mitigating ones.

3.      If a circumstance mentioned in part 1 of this Article, is envisaged in the appropriate article of the Special Part of this Code as an element of a crime, then it can not be repeatedly taken into account as a circumstance mitigating the liability and the punishment.

 

Article 63. Circumstances aggravating the liability and punishment.

1.      Circumstances aggravating the liability and punishment are as follows:

1)      repeated committal of crime; committing crime as a trade, occupation;

2)      causing severe consequences by the crime;

3)      committal of crime in a group of individuals, in an organized group or as a part of criminal association;

4)      particularly active role in the crime;

5)      involvement into the committal of the crime of persons who obviously suffer from mental disorder or who are intoxicated, as well as involvement of persons who are still under age for criminal liability;

6)      committal of crime by ethnic, racial or religious motives, for religious fanatism, as revenge for other people’s legitimate actions;

7)      committal of crime to conceal another crime or in order to facilitate this crime;

8)      committal of crime against an obviously pregnant woman, against children, other insecure and helpless persons, or against persons dependent from the perpetrator;

9)      committal of crime against a person or one’s spouse, or close relative, which is related to the implementation of service or public duty by this person;

10)  committal of crime by a person whereby breaching the military or professional oath;

11)  committal of crime with particular cruelty, treating the aggrieved with humiliation or torture;

12)  committal of crime in a way that is dangerous for the society;

13)  committal of crime under martial law or emergency situation, in conditions of a natural or other civil disaster, as well as during mass disorder and turmoil;

14)  committal of crime under the influence of alcohol, narcotic drugs or other intoxicating substances;

2.      Based on the nature of the crime, the court may consider the circumstances mentioned in points 10 and 14 of part 1 of this Article not aggravating.

3.      When assigning punishment the court can not take into account other circumstances not mentioned in part 1 of this Article.

4.      If the circumstance mentioned in part 1 of this Article, is envisaged in the appropriate article of the Special Part of this Code as an element of a crime, then it can not be repeatedly taken into account as a circumstance aggravating the liability and the punishment.

 

Article 64. Assignment of a milder punishment than envisaged by law.

1.      If there are exceptional circumstances concerned with the motives of the crime and its purpose, the role of the perpetrator, and his behavior when committing the crime and thereafter, which essentially reduce the extent of danger of the crime for the society, as well as, if a member of the group crime actively assists in solving the crime, a softer punishment can be assigned than the minimal envisaged punishment in the appropriate article of the Special Part of this Code, or a softer type of punishment, than envisaged in that article, or no compulsory supplementary punishment may be applied.

2.      Individual mitigating circumstances as well as a combination of such circumstances can be considered exceptional.

 

Article 65. Assignment of punishment for an unfinished crime.

1.      When assigning punishment for an unfinished crime, the nature of actions committed by the criminal and the degree of danger to the society, the degree of implementation of criminal intent and those circumstances as a result of which the crime was not finished, are taken into account.

2.      The imprisonment for the preparation of a crime can not exceed half of the maximal imprisonment term envisaged in the relevant article of the Special Part, or part thereof.

3.      The imprisonment for the attempt at a crime can not exceed three quarters of the maximal imprisonment term envisaged in the relevant article of the Special Part, or part thereof.

4.      Life sentence is not assigned for the preparation of a crime or for the attempt to commit crime.

 

Article 66. Assignment of punishment by accumulation of crimes.

1.        When assigning cumulative punishment (basic and supplementary), separately for each crime, the court determines the final punishment by absorption of the less severe punishment by a more severe punishment, or by adding the assigned punishments in full or partially.

2.        If the aggregate of crimes involves only minor gravity crimes, then the final punishment is assigned by absorbing the less grave punishment by a more grave punishment, or by complete or partial adding of punishments. Particularly, the added up final punishment can not exceed the maximal punishment envisaged for the gravest committed crime.

3.        If the aggregate of crimes involves only medium-gravity or not grave and medium-gravity crimes, then the final punishment is assigned by complete or partial summation of punishments. Particularly, the final punishment can not exceed 10 years of imprisonment.

4.        If the aggregate of crimes involves grave and particularly grave crimes, then the final punishment is assigned by complete or partial summation of punishments. The final punishment can not exceed 15 years of imprisonment. If one of the accomplices is sentenced to life, then the final basic punishment is decided by absorption.

5.        Under cumulative punishment, a supplementary punishment can be added to the assigned basic punishment for the aggregate of crimes. When summing up the supplementary punishments completely or partially, the final supplementary punishment can not exceed the maximal term or degree established for this type of crime in the General Part of this Code.

6.        The punishment is assigned under the provisions of this Article, if after sentencing it turns out that the convict is also guilty of another crime, committed before the first sentence. In this case the term of the final punishment is offset by the served part of the first sentence.

 

Article 67. Assignment of punishment by accumulation of sentences.

1.      If the convict commits another crime after sentencing, but before the expiry of the term of the sentence, the court adds the unserved part of the previously assigned punishment to the newly assigned punishment, in full or partially.

2.      The final punishment by accumulation of sentences, provided it does not involve imprisonment, can not exceed the maximal punishment of this type envisaged in the General Part of this Code.

3.      The final imprisonment by accumulation of sentences can not exceed 20 years.

4.      The final punishment by accumulation of sentences must be greater than both the punishment for the newly committed crime, and the unserved part of the punishment assigned by the previous sentence.

5.      When assigning a punishment by accumulation of sentences, the addition of supplementary punishments is done as prescribed in  Article 67 of this Code.

6.      If a new crime is committed by a life-server, the newly assigned punishment is absorbed by the life sentence.

 

Article 68. Determining the terms of punishment by summing them up.

1.          When adding up punishments and sentences under the cumulative system, in full or partially, one day of imprisonment is equal to:

1)      one day of arrest or keeping in the disciplinary battalion;

2)      3 days of correctional labor;

3)      4 hours of public work.

2.          Such punishments as fine, prohibition to hold certain posts and practice certain professions, deprivation of  special titles or military ranks, categories, degrees, qualification class, confiscation of property, when added to the imprisonment, the disciplinary battalion and arrest, are executed separately.

 

Article 69. Calculation of the punishment terms and offsetting punishment.

1.      The terms of such punishments as prohibition to hold certain posts and practice certain professions, correctional labor, keeping in the disciplinary battalion and imprisonment are calculated in months and years. The term of public work is counted in hours. The arrest term is counted in days and months.

2.      When replacing or adding the punishments mentioned in part 1 of this Article, as well as offsetting the punishment, the terms can be calculated in days.

3.      Before the sentence comes into legal force, the term served under arrest is deducted from the assigned punishment in the form of imprisonment, arrest, the disciplinary battalion, counting 1 day as 3 days; in the case of correctional labor, 1 day as 2 days; in the case of public work, 1 day as 6 hours.

4.      Before the sentence comes into legal force, the term served under arrest or when serving the imprisonment assigned for the committal of crime in another country, based on Article 16 of this Code, in case of extradition of the person, 1 day is equal to 1 day.

5.      When assigning a fine, a prohibition to hold certain posts and practice certain professions, the court mitigates the assigned punishment or exempts from punishment entirely, taking into account the time spent under arrest by the person who had been under arrest prior the proceedings.

6.      The period of enforced medical treatment of the person who developed a mental disease after the committal of crime is deducted from the term of the punishment.

 

Article 70. Conditional punishment.

1.      When assigning a punishment in the form of public work, arrest, imprisonment or keeping in the disciplinary battalion, the court comes to the conclusion that the correction of the convict is possible without serving the sentence, the court can decide not to apply this punishment conditionally.

2.      When not applying the punishment conditionally, the court takes into account the features characterizing the personality of the perpetrator, liability, mitigating and aggravating circumstances.

3.      When not applying the punishment conditionally, the court establishes a probation period, from 1 to 5 years.

4.      When not applying imprisonment conditionally, supplementary punishments can be applied, except confiscation of property.

5.      When deciding not to apply the punishment conditionally, the court can oblige the convict to carry out certain duties: not to change the place of permanent residence without notification of the body in charge of his supervision, to take a treatment course against alcohol, narcotic drugs, VD or toxicomania, to support the family financially. By motion of a competent body supervising the convict’s behavior, or without, the court can also impose other duties on the convict which will promote his correction.

6.      If during the probation period the convict commits two or more offences for which is subjected to administrative arrest, or willfully evades the implementation of the duties imposed by the court, by motion of the body in charge of supervision of his behavior, as well as, in case of committal of a negligent or not grave crime, the court resolves the issue of nullification of the conditional punishment.

7.      In the case of committal of a medium-gravity, grave or particularly grave crime by the convict during the probation period, the court can cancel the decision not to apply the punishment conditionally, and assign a punishment under the provisions of Article 67. The same rules are applied when assigning a punishment for a new negligent crime, if the court cancels the decision not to apply the punishment conditionally.

 

 

Article 71. Procedure and conditions of punishment implementation

Procedure and conditions of punishment implementation are established by  the law.

 

 

Section 4. Exemption from criminal liability and punishment.

 

Chapter 11.

Exemption from criminal liability.

 

Article 72. Exemption from criminal liability in case of repentance.

1.      The person who committed for the first time a not grave or medium-gravity crime can be exempted from criminal liability, if he, after the committal of the crime, surrendered, assisted in solving the crime of his own accord, compensated or mitigated the inflicted damage in some other way.

2.      The person who committed another type of crime, in case of the circumstances mentioned in the first part of this Article, can be exempted from criminal liability only in cases especially envisaged in the article of the Special Part of this Code.

 

Article 73. Exemption from criminal liability in case of reconciliation with the aggrieved.

The person who committed a not grave crime can be exempted from criminal liability, if he reconciles with the aggrieved, mitigates or compensates the inflicted damage in some other way.

 

Article 74. Exemption from criminal liability due to change of situation.

The person who committed for the first time a not grave or medium-gravity crime can be exempted from criminal liability, if it turns out that as a result of the change of the situation this person or the committed act is no longer dangerous for the society.

 

Article 75. Exemption from criminal liability as a result of expiry of the statute of limitation.

1.      The person is exempted from criminal liability, if the following periods of time have elapsed after the committal of the crime:

1)      2 years, since the day of committal of not grave crime;

2)      5 years, since the day of committal of medium-gravity crime;

3)      10 years, since the day of committal of grave crime;

4)      15 years, since the day of committal of particularly grave crime.

2.      The prescription period is calculated from the day of committal to the moment when the sentence comes into legal force.

3.      The prescription period is disrupted, if prior to the expiry of these period, the person commits a new medium gravity crime, grave crime or particularly grave crime. In this case the calculation of the prescription period begins from the moment of committal of the new crime.

4.      The prescription period is suspended, if the person avoids investigation or trial. In this case the prescription period resumes from the moment of arrest or surrender. Particularly, the person can not be subjected to criminal liability, if 10 years have elapsed since the day of committal of the not grave or medium-gravity crime, and 20 years have elapsed, in the case of a grave or particularly grave crime, and no the prescription period was not disrupted with new crimes.

5.      The court decides the issue of application of the prescription period to a person who committed a crime punishable by a life sentence. If the court does not deem possible to exempt the person from criminal liability due to the expiry of the prescription period, the life sentence is not applied.

6.      The expiry of the prescription period is not applicable to persons who committed crimes against peace and human security envisaged in  Articles 384, 386-391, 393-397 of this Code. Prescription periods are not applied to the persons who committed crimes envisaged in the RA international agreements, provided the agreement prohibits the application of the prescription period.

 

Chapter 12.

Exemption from punishment.

 

Article 76. Exemption from punishment on parole.

1.       The person sentenced to public work, correctional labor, imprisonment or disciplinary battalion can be released on parole with his consent, if the court finds that for his correction there is no need to serve the remaining part of the punishment. Also, the person can be completely or partially exempted from supplementary punishment. When exempting from punishment on parole, the court also takes into account the fact of mitigation of damage to the aggrieved by the convict.

2.