Legislation of the Republic of Armenia provides both criminal and administrative responsibilities for election offences. The Prosecutor General’s Office of the Republic of Armenia would supervise the registration and discussion of those reports which are on election frauds provided by the Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia.
Taking into consideration the public interest, below is the list of the types of crimes provided by the Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia.
Article 149. Hindrance to implementation of the right to elect, to the work of election commissions or to the implementation of the authority of the person participating in elections.
1. Hindrance to the free implementation of the citizen’s right to elect or to referendum, or hindrance to the work of the election or referendum commission, as well as, hindrance to the implementation of the authorities of the election or referendum commission or initiative group, candidate or his proxy, observers, mass media representatives, the authorized person of the party (or association of parties), is punished with a fine in the amount of 500 to 700 minimal salaries or arrest for up to 1 month.
2. The same actions:
1) committed with threat to property,
2) with financial incentive,
3) accompanied with violence or threats to use violence,
4) committed by abuse of official position,
5) committed by a group.
6) accompanied with deprivation of a person from freedom are punished with imprisonment for 2 to 5 years.
Article 150. Forgery of election or voting results.
Obviously incorrect counting of ballots during a referendum or election, or obviously incorrect approval of referendum or election results, theft of the ballot box, inserting incorrect data in the computer, changing the inserted data, as well as forgery of elections or voting in some other way, is punished with imprisonment for 3 to 5 years.
Article 151. Dissemination of libelous information about a candidate, a party (association of parties) during elections.
Dissemination of libelous information about a candidate, a party (association of parties) during elections in order to mislead the voters, is punished with a fine in the amount of 600 to 800 minimal salaries, or with imprisonment for 2 to 5 years.
Article 152. Breach of the procedure for compilation of voters lists.
Forgery through the breach of the procedure of compilation of voters list by the official in charge of the compilation of the voters lists, is punished with a fine in the amount of up to 1000 to 1500 minimal salaries, or imprisonment for 3 to 5 years, with deprivation of the right to hold certain posts or practice certain activities for up to 3 years.
Article 153. Voting more than once or instead of another person.
Voting more than once or instead of another person by submitting false data, documents or otherwise, is punished with a fine in the amount of 500 to 700 minimal salaries, or imprisonment for 2 to 3 years.
Article 154. Breaching the confidentiality of ballot.
Forcing the voter to divulge the results of the ballot, checking the ballot list to reveal the results of the vote, entering the ballot booth (room) as well as breaching the confidentiality of the voting otherwise, is punished with a fine in the amount of 500 to 700 minimal salaries or imprisonment for 2 to 3 years.
Article 154.1. Making and realizing fake voting ballots and voting envelopes.
.For personal or group motives, making and realizing of fake voting ballots and voting envelopes is punished with imprisonment for 3 to 7 years with or without property confiscation.
2. The same action committed in large amount, by a group of people with prior agreement is punished with imprisonment for 6 to 10 years with or without property confiscation.
Article 154.2. Hindering the implementation of the voter’s free will.
1. Accepting bribery from the candidate or a mediator in order to vote for or against one of the candidates or to participate or to refuse to participate in the elections is punished with a fine in the amount of 500 to 700 minimal salaries or with imprisonment for 1 to 3 years.
2. Forcing a voter to vote for or against one of the candidates or to participate or to refuse to participate in the elections by threatening property damage, giving bribe personally or by a mediator, by using violence or threatening to use violence, is punished with a fine in the amount of 2000 to 2500 minimal salaries or with imprisonment for 3 to 5 years.
Article 154.3. Not returning the seal of the electoral commission, breaking the order of the seal keeping.
Not returning of the seal of the electoral commission by the responsible person as well as breaking the order of the seal keeping is punished with imprisonment for 1 to 3 years.
Article 154.4. Entering the precinct with weapon.
The demonstrative entrance to the precinct (polling booth) with weapon without any need for service is punished with imprisonment for 1 to 3 years.
Article 154.5. Hindering proxy, member of the electoral commission, observer or mass media representative to get acquainted with election documents, not providing the copies of the protocols of the electoral commission.
Hindrance to the proxy, member of the electoral commission, observer or mass media representative to get acquainted with election documents, not provision of the copies and extracts of the protocols of the electoral commission is punished with imprisonment for 3 to 5 years.
Article 154.6. Not fulfillment or improper fulfillment of the liabilities of the head of the electoral commission.
Not fulfillment or improper fulfillment of the liabilities by the head of the electoral commission as a result of which it is impossible to summarize the results of the voting and elections is punished with imprisonment for 2 to 5 years by depriving of the right to hold certain posts and to conduct certain activities for up to 3 years.
Working group of the RA Prosecution Office
Source` Iravaban. net
