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The objective of the draft is to design criminal legal measures aimed at defending the sovereignty of the state: the RA Deputy Minister of Justice Levon Balyan said presenting the draft law on Making Addenda to the RA Criminal Code for debate at the NA Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs in the first reading on April 21.

The Deputy Minister noted that as a result of the adoption of the draft, actions aimed at renunciation of sovereignty, fully or partially restricting the sovereignty of the Republic of Armenia through the use of violence or the threat of violence will be considered criminally punishable acts.

According to the key rapporteur, criminal liability is provided for subverting the constitutional order, including factually stopping the operation of the first article of the constitution and violent calls directed to it, according to the current Criminal Code. He mentioned that the current Criminal Code does not provide for criminal liability for actions or public calls aimed at the forcible renunciation of sovereignty, and as a result of the adoption of the draft, these actions will be considered criminally punishable.

According to him, the calls aimed at renunciation of sovereignty can be characterized as those that are combined with the threat of violence and pursue the goal of pushing a certain circle of a person or persons to carry out specific actions with the threat of using violence.

Levon Balyan stated that the experience of other countries was also studied while developing the draft.

The co-rapporteur Arpine Davoyan informed that the draft was debated in detail and the aim is to design criminal legal measures aimed at the sovereignty of the state.

The Committee endorsed the draft law.