Training for investigators engaged in investigation of criminal cases on electoral crimes was taken up by the RA Investigative Committee which started today. The RA IC Chairman Hayk Grigoryan, Secretary of Central Election Commission Armen Smbatyan, Secretary of the Electoral Code Reform Commission under the Prime Minister Daniel Ioannisyan took part in the opening ceremony.

Greeting the guests and participants the RA IC Chairman stated that the efficiency of fight against electoral crimes is one of the priorities of legal policy of our country. Therefore, the RA Investigative Committee has taken up for the first time to organize specialization and training courses for investigators engaged in investigation of electoral crimes.

“Though by current criminal code the electoral crimes are inserted in the chapter of crimes against human constitutional rights, however, I think they are essentially committals with a high degree of public danger against constitutional order. The electoral procedure is the system through which state and local self-government system, state institutions are formed. Through elections the people exercise their power and if there are breaches in electoral procedures the bases of state constitutional order can be distorted and endangered”, said Hayk Grigoryan.
  

IC Chairman attached importance to prevention of possible crimes during electoral procedure and one of the priority preconditions of its efficiency is their proper investigation, appropriate criminal legal assessment and punitive policy.

«We must clearly state that the degree of democracy in the state is determined not only by declaration of fundamental human and civil rights and freedoms and legislative fixation but also by their real protection. Criminal legal protection of fundamental human and civil rights and freedoms has an important role in the system of their guarantee which is the more stringent and functional measure for fight against criminal violations of fundamental human and civil rights and freedoms, protection of their legal interests from publicly dangerous encroachment. However, the efficiency of that protection depends not only on appropriate norms fixed by criminal code but also their exact application in practice», mentioned the IC Chairman.

Considering that Yerevan Council of Elderly elections are scheduled in the near future 23 investigators of Yerevan Investigative Department, investigative divisions of administrative district will be trained at the first stage.

“Efficient fight against electoral crimes is a priority for the RA Investigative Committee. For that purpose we plan to have investigators specialized in the investigation of those crimes. Considering the dynamic and continuous improvement and development of electoral legislation, frequent amendments in the criminal code which are made due to them we also attach importance to continuous training procedure of investigators, our commitment to enhance the awareness level of the sphere’s issues. I am sure that in the result of this training the investigators will obtain necessary knowledge on electoral right which will contribute to correct criminal legal assessment of these committals, will raise the efficiency of investigation of electoral crimes”, said the IC Chairman and emphasized that the investigation of criminal cases on this kind of crimes will be under his direct control.

Secretary of Central Election Commission Armen Smbatyan and Secretary of the Electoral Code Reform Commission under the Prime Minister Daniel Ioannisyan assessed highly the initiative of the Investigative Committee considering it unprecedented. Pursuant to A. Smbatyan’s observation the steps taken by the Investigative Committee to raise the efficiency of investigation will have an important impact in enhancement of confidence towards electoral procedure as our society follows not only pre-election but also post-election developments.

“It is unprecedented when we see that the Investigative Committee, investigative body takes active measures for efficiency of fight against electoral crimes. It is very important to show that authorities are formed through elections, that the citizen forms the authority through his/her election”, said D. Ioannisyan.

RA IC Deputy Chairman Artur Ghambaryan informed that the training will be conducted in three directions political, constitutional legal and criminal legal attaching importance to investigators’ comprehensive training. Moreover, it is a pilot project after which it will be refined and ahead of nationwide parliamentary elections trainings will be held for investigators of regional investigative departments, as well.