For Immediate Release
November 12, 2001
Armenian prosecutor appeals
acquittal of Jehovah’s Witness
YEREVAN, Armenia—On 14 November 14, the Appeal Court of the Republic of Armenia will consider an appeal from the Prosecutor's Office against Judge Mamvel Simonyan's decision on 18 September 18 to acquit Lyova Margaryan of all criminal charges under Article 244 of the Armenian Criminal Code. Margaryan is being prosecuted for his religious activity as one of Jehovah's Witnesses.
In their written appeal, Prosecutors Minasyan and Hovhannisyan insist that the court wrongly interpreted the law and that Margaryan is guilty under Article 244. In response Margaryan's lawyers state: "The prosecutor is trying to reinstitute the Soviet policy of terror and mass persecution of religious believers."
Article 244 was introduced in the early 1960's as part of an anti-religion persecution campaign initiated by Nikita Khrushchev. In 1991 the Russia Federation repealed the same article from the former Criminal Code of Russia by the law On Exonerating Victims of Political Persecution. The preamble to this law states: "During the years of Soviet power millions of people became the victims of the tyranny of the totalitarian State, and were subject to persecution for political and religious convictions, and on social, national, and other bases. Condemning the many-year terror and mass persecution of its people as incompatible with the ideas of law and justice, the Supreme Soviet expresses its deep sympathy to victims of unwarranted persecution, their friends and relatives, and declares its unwavering aspiration to achieve real guarantees ensuring legality and human rights." Numerous Jehovah's Witnesses were rehabilitated and compensated under this law.
This case has drawn international media attention and comments from human rights organizations. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe in its press release of 18 September 18, 2001, stated:, "Although welcoming the verdict, the OSCE office continues to regret that the prosecution was launched in the first place."
Amnesty International issued a public statement following the trial that warned: "The mere fact that Lyova [Lyova] Margaryan was charged under these provisions sends a worrying signal for the future of religious freedom in Armenia. If convicted and sentenced to imprisonment, Amnesty International would have considered Lyova [Lyova] Margaryan a prisoner of conscience, imprisoned solely on account of his non-violent religious activities."
Jehovah's Witnesses are an internationally recognized Christian religion. There are over 6 million active members,; with more than 7,000 in Armenia. They are officially recognized in 150 countries. The European Court of Human Rights has repeatedly described Jehovah's Witnesses as a "known religion" entitled to protection of the European Convention of Human Rights. There are 10 judgments from the European Court of Human Rights wherein the Court held that in Orthodox Greece Jehovah's Witnesses are a "known religion" entitled to protection of the European Convention of Human Rights.
Contact numbers in Armenia: Telephone: + 3741 426868
English-speaking: Paul Gillies, mobile telephone: + 44 7775 833880
www.jw-media.org