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Haykakan Zhamanak, Armenia
Nov 19 2010
Jailed Armenian editor denies placed in isolation cell voluntarily - lawyer
Nikol Pashinyan, the jailed editor of pro-opposition Armenian daily,
Haykakan Zhamanak, has issued a statement via his lawyer denying a
statement by a Ministry of Justice official, who said that Pashinyan
had been placed in a disciplinary cell at his own request for security
reasons, the daily reported on 19 November.
"Arsen Babayan, the head of the public relations unit of the Armenian
Ministry of Justice's penitentiary department said on 16 November 2010
that following a long meeting, Nikol refused to enter the general zone
[of the jail] and that the administration of the penitentiary
institution isolated him on his own verbal request for purposes of
security. Nikol states unambiguously that this information does not
correspond to reality," Pashinyan's lawyer, Vahe Grigoryan, quoted him
as saying.
Pashinyan said the management banned him from entering the general
zone, warning him that he would be in danger there and he should be
isolated for security purposes. Pashinyan said he refused the
management's request for him to appeal in writing for transfer to a
disciplinary cell.
Grigoryan told the paper that he had to wait for 40 minutes before he
was allowed to meet Pashinyan on 18 November. Grigoryan said
Pashinyan's prison regime was "illegally" made stricter and this
prevents him from contacting the media directly. "At the moment he
cannot have correspondence, he is deprived of the opportunity to
communicate directly with the media," Grigoryan was quoted as saying.
Pashinyan is serving a sentence of three years, ten months and 29 days
after being convicted of organizing post-election disturbances in
Armenia's capital Yerevan on 1 March 2008.
From: A. Papazian
Nov 19 2010
Jailed Armenian editor denies placed in isolation cell voluntarily - lawyer
Nikol Pashinyan, the jailed editor of pro-opposition Armenian daily,
Haykakan Zhamanak, has issued a statement via his lawyer denying a
statement by a Ministry of Justice official, who said that Pashinyan
had been placed in a disciplinary cell at his own request for security
reasons, the daily reported on 19 November.
"Arsen Babayan, the head of the public relations unit of the Armenian
Ministry of Justice's penitentiary department said on 16 November 2010
that following a long meeting, Nikol refused to enter the general zone
[of the jail] and that the administration of the penitentiary
institution isolated him on his own verbal request for purposes of
security. Nikol states unambiguously that this information does not
correspond to reality," Pashinyan's lawyer, Vahe Grigoryan, quoted him
as saying.
Pashinyan said the management banned him from entering the general
zone, warning him that he would be in danger there and he should be
isolated for security purposes. Pashinyan said he refused the
management's request for him to appeal in writing for transfer to a
disciplinary cell.
Grigoryan told the paper that he had to wait for 40 minutes before he
was allowed to meet Pashinyan on 18 November. Grigoryan said
Pashinyan's prison regime was "illegally" made stricter and this
prevents him from contacting the media directly. "At the moment he
cannot have correspondence, he is deprived of the opportunity to
communicate directly with the media," Grigoryan was quoted as saying.
Pashinyan is serving a sentence of three years, ten months and 29 days
after being convicted of organizing post-election disturbances in
Armenia's capital Yerevan on 1 March 2008.
From: A. Papazian