For Immediate Release
September 18, 2001
Court victory for Armenian Jehovah's Witness
PYEREVAN, Armenia—Judge Mamvel Simonyan today pronounced Lyova Margaryan innocent of all criminal charges. He added that under Armenian law, Margaryan could apply for damages because of the "false charges" brought against him.
Margaryan was accused under Article 244 of the Armenian Criminal Code of "luring young people into attending religious meetings of an unregistered religion" and "influencing members to refuse their civic duties." The judge explained that the purpose of this law is to protect young people whose rights and health are damaged and who are urged to reject civic duties. He reviewed testimony that he said demonstrated a lack of evidence to support these charges. He explained: "According to Armenian law, every child has the right to worship and parents can educate them according to their beliefs until the age of 16." He added that judging by the evidence presented in court, "children had not been lured to meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses, but they had attended with the permission of their parents."
In his judgment, Judge Simonyan reminded the court that various witnesses had testified that their written statements had been dictated by the investigator. He also cited the example of one witness who said that her negative views of Jehovah's Witnesses had been gleaned from television.
Defense attorney, Rustam Khachatryan, declared:"This a victory for religious freedom in Armenia. The Judge's brave decision, despite intense pressure from the news media to convict Margaryan, should help to pave the way for Jehovah's Witnesses to be registered in Armenia."
This prosecution followed an Armenian television program in which law-enforcement officials called for a crackdown on unregistered religions, using article 244, of a 1960 antireligion law introduced under then Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev. Jehovah's Witnesses, who number 7,000 in Armenia, have made numerous attempts to secure registration since Armenia gained independence in 1991. Freedom of religion and conscience is guaranteed by the Constitution of Armenia and by the European Convention of Human Rights, which Armenia signed upon its accession to the Council of Europe on January 25, 2001.
The prosecutor immediately announced his intention to appeal Judge Simonyan's decision.
Contact numbers in Armenia, telephone: + 3741 426868
English-speaking, Paul Gillies, mobile telephone: + 44 7775 833880