Police Chief attaches importance to taking into account opinions of victims, hostages in clemency process

National Police Chief Valeriy Osipyan says he attaches great importance to taking into consideration the opinion of victims of crimes in the clemency process.

Asked today about the clemency covering the gunmen who had ambushed a police station in 2016, when he himself was taken hostage when he was serving as deputy police chief of Yerevan, he said: “I share the concern of the families of the victims on releasing many under the clemency. We’ve lost friends, the finest. At this moment, the clemency act states that the opinions of the hostages must be taken into account. I am in favor of this opinion, indeed, my opinion, as well as the opinion of the other hostages and victims must be taken into account”.

During the attack three police officers were killed.

He said that he has expressed his stance on the matter numerously after the events of 2016. “I have given testimonies during the investigation and as a leader of a law enforcement agency I believe that any person who committed a crime must be held to account,” he said.

Osipyan didn’t rule out that the risk of repeated offenses exists after clemency. “However, I welcome the clemency. It is a humanitarian approach in itself”, he said.

He said that preventive actions are among the priorities of the police, and that they will undertake these preventive works in order to rule out repeated offenses.