The bill brought to parliament by the opposition Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) makes high treason a crime punishable by a life sentence or 15-20 years of imprisonment, with or without confiscation of property, and provides for 12-20 years of imprisonment for espionage.
Under the currently applied articles of the Criminal Code high treason in Armenia is punishable by 10 to 15 years of imprisonment with or without confiscation of property, and espionage is punishable by 8 to 15 years of imprisonment.
Originally the BHK-drafted bill proposed only life imprisonment as a punishment for high treason.
The bill was adopted in the second and final reading with 112 votes. No member of the 132-seat parliament voted against it or abstained.