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Public Demands to Release the Journalist Activate

On November 16, when editors and journalists of more than a dozen of media outlets organized a protest action and demanded to release the chief editor of “Haykakan Zhamanak” daily (Armenian Times) Nikol Pashinyan, some thought that this action would soon be forgotten. However, this was only the beginning of dozens of events held one after another to protect Nikol.

In just two weeks collection of signatures with the same demand was started and protest actions were held in Yerevan by dozens of artists, culture activists, academicians and associate members of the National Academy of Sciences.

Demands for the release of the journalist were activated after his statement made in “Kosh” penitentiary according to which he was tortured  when sleeping at night on November 11 in jail by unknown people. Pashinyan’s statement was denied by the criminal department of the Ministry of Justice of Armenia. However, his defenders argued that it took place and that Pashinyan’s life is under threat.

A statement was disseminated also by the chairmеn of Writers’ Union of Armenia Levon Ananyan, of Theatre Workers’ Union of Armenia Hakob Ghazanchyan and of Architects’ Union of Armenia Mkrtich Minasyan.

On November 16, when editors and journalists of more than a dozen of media outlets organized a protest action and demanded to release the chief editor of “Haykakan Zhamanak” daily (Armenian Times) Nikol Pashinyan, some thought that this action would soon be forgotten. However, this was only the beginning of dozens of events held one after another to protect Nikol.

In just two weeks collection of signatures with the same demand was started and protest actions were held in Yerevan by dozens of artists, culture activists, academicians and associate members of the National Academy of Sciences.

Demands for the release of the journalist were activated after his statement made in “Kosh” penitentiary according to which he was tortured  when sleeping at night on November 11 in jail by unknown people. Pashinyan’s statement was denied by the criminal department of the Ministry of Justice of Armenia. However, his defenders argued that it took place and that Pashinyan’s life is under threat.

A statement was disseminated also by the chairmеn of Writers’ Union of Armenia Levon Ananyan, of Theatre Workers’ Union of Armenia Hakob Ghazanchyan and of Architects’ Union of Armenia Mkrtich Minasyan.

“Recent events around the chief editor of “Haykakan Zhamanak” daily Nikol Pashinyan cause concern. Doesn’t it certify that the official bodies are unable to provide the security of the imprisoned journalist? Moreover, some social layers are questioning the trend of such treatment and the immediate threat to the journalist’s life,” reports the statement.

Leaders of the creative unions expressed their confidence for “the Republic of Armenia, as a professor of European values and as a country that has chosen democracy – a path of development – which has not an alternative, is not appropriate to keep in jail a journalist against the demands of international society and international norms and conventions.”

On November 30 Nikol Pashinyan was tranferred from “Kosh” penitentiary to “Artik”prison – under stricter, closed regime. After a day a message was disseminated by the criminal department of the Ministry of Justice of Armenia as if the transfer of the editor-in-chief of “Haykakan Zhamanak” daily, member of an opposition Armenian National Congress Nikol Pashinyan to “Artik” penitentiary “is conditioned by lots of violations of the prescribed order to bear the punishment by the latter, as well as by his behavior of kindling conflict situations with the prisoners, by the relations’ aggravation with other convicts as a result of a number of slanders.”

Pashinyan is in jail for already one and a half year since the beginning of July 2009. He was sentenced to 7 years of imprisonment in regard with the post-electoral events in 2008. However an amnesty has been applied to him by the decision of the Appeal Court and the punishment has been reduced by half.