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Amnesty Will be Granted Also to Nikol Pashinyan

The amnesty will be granted also to the imprisoned editor-in-chief of the “Haykakan Zhamanak” daily Nikol Pashinyan. The news was told about by the RA Minister of Justice Hrayr Tovmasyan on the TV channel “Shant” during the “Herankar” (Prospect) program. On Wednesday, May 25, commenting on the decision draft of amnesty at the National Assembly Tovmasyan referred also to Pashinyan.

On may 20 with a propasal to announce amnesty president Serzh Sargsyan applied to the National Assembly. On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of Armenia’s independence amnesty will be applied to those who have committed a crime until May 1, 2011 inclusive.

“400 convicts will be freed while about 400 others will have their prison sentences shortened,” says the Minister of Justice.

The editor-in-chief of the “Haykakan Zhamanak” daily is imprisoned for about two years, since July 2009. The decision on amnesty adopted by the National Assembly earlier, on June 19, was not granted to Nikol Pashinyan.

Pashinyan was wanted after the post-electoral events of 2008, and more than a year later, on July 1, 2009, he voluntarily surrendered to the law enforcement bodies. He was immediately arrested.

The amnesty will be granted also to the imprisoned editor-in-chief of the “Haykakan Zhamanak” daily Nikol Pashinyan. The news was told about by the RA Minister of Justice Hrayr Tovmasyan on the TV channel “Shant” during the “Herankar” (Prospect) program. On Wednesday, May 25, commenting on the decision draft of amnesty at the National Assembly Tovmasyan referred also to Pashinyan.

On may 20 with a propasal to announce amnesty president Serzh Sargsyan applied to the National Assembly. On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of Armenia’s independence amnesty will be applied to those who have committed a crime until May 1, 2011 inclusive.

“400 convicts will be freed while about 400 others will have their prison sentences shortened,” says the Minister of Justice.

The editor-in-chief of the “Haykakan Zhamanak” daily is imprisoned for about two years, since July 2009. The decision on amnesty adopted by the National Assembly earlier, on June 19, was not granted to Nikol Pashinyan.

Pashinyan was wanted after the post-electoral events of 2008, and more than a year later, on July 1, 2009, he voluntarily surrendered to the law enforcement bodies. He was immediately arrested.

On January 19, 2010, Pashinyan was sentenced to 7 years’ imprisonment for so-called “March 1 incidents”. He was found guilty according to the 1st part of Article 225 of the RA Criminal Code for inciting mass disorders.  Two months later the Appeals Court left Pashinya’s verdict unchanged but granted amnesty and reduced his punishment measures by half.

Nikol Pashinyan is married, he has 3 children: a son and 2 daughters. The little daughter, Shushan, was still 7-month-old when his father went into hiding. Now she is 3. 

The amnesty goes into force as soon as it is published. The amnesty application period is envisaged to last until September 21 inclusive. I consider that in terms of performance, first of all the amnesty will be granted to all those who are intended to be freed according to the amnesty decision requirements, and I can say that up to 10 days, it will be possible to solve this problem, and release those people to whom the amnesty applies to, says Koryun Nahapetyan, member of the National Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs.

Source: JNews.am