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OPPOSITION YOUTH ACTIVIST TO SEEK FULL ACQUITTAL AFTER RELEASE BY AMNESTY
News | 15.10.13 | 09:58
Photolure
By Siranuysh Gevorgyan
ArmeniaNow reporter
A freed opposition youth activist has vowed to seek full exoneration
despite a partial acquittal and release from the appeals court under
the general amnesty act on Monday.
The court in Yerevan ordered Tigran Arakelyan's release after ruling
that parts of the charges against him must be dropped and his six-year
prison sentence reduced to three years.
Arakelyan, a leader of the opposition Armenian National Congress
(ANC) youth wing, had spent more than two years in jail after being
arrested in August 2011 and later sentenced on charges of assaulting
a police officer.
Interestingly, the incident that happened two years ago and as a
result of which seven activists were detained (four of whom, including
Arakelyan, were then indicted and tried) put an end to a political
dialogue between the opposition bloc and the authorities. All along
the opposition has considered the cases against Arakelyan and three
other activists to be politically motivated.
Arakelyan, who at the previous court hearing stated that he did not
need amnesty and that he wanted acquittal, announced that he was
going to appeal the decision at the Court of Cassation in order to
achieve a complete acquittal.
In the evening Arakelyan met with ANC members and supporters in
Yerevan's Saryan Park. He thanked them for the support during these
two years and said that he would be more active and would take steps
aimed at finding more "in-depth solutions".
ANC parliamentary faction secretary Aram Manukyan said that their
struggle was not only for the release of Arakelyan, but to exclude
the presence of people persecuted for their political views in Armenia.
"Our goal is to make sure no one becomes a political prisoner no
matter what party affiliation they may have," he stated.
ANC faction leader Levon Zurabyan, meanwhile, again accused the
authorities of thwarting the dialogue two years ago with unreasonable
action.
"These authorities have proved that they are ready to sacrifice the
best processes that could lead to the recovery of our society for the
sake of revenge, for political persecution, for creating an atmosphere
of intimidation," he claimed.
"We had been in dialogue over holding early parliamentary and
presidential elections to form a legitimate government in Armenia. Are
they ready to talk about these issues today? Probably not. But our
cause from now on will be to force this talk on these authorities,"
Zurabyan concluded.
http://armenianow.com/news/49208/armenia_opposition_youth_tigran_arakelyan_release
News | 15.10.13 | 09:58
Photolure
By Siranuysh Gevorgyan
ArmeniaNow reporter
A freed opposition youth activist has vowed to seek full exoneration
despite a partial acquittal and release from the appeals court under
the general amnesty act on Monday.
The court in Yerevan ordered Tigran Arakelyan's release after ruling
that parts of the charges against him must be dropped and his six-year
prison sentence reduced to three years.
Arakelyan, a leader of the opposition Armenian National Congress
(ANC) youth wing, had spent more than two years in jail after being
arrested in August 2011 and later sentenced on charges of assaulting
a police officer.
Interestingly, the incident that happened two years ago and as a
result of which seven activists were detained (four of whom, including
Arakelyan, were then indicted and tried) put an end to a political
dialogue between the opposition bloc and the authorities. All along
the opposition has considered the cases against Arakelyan and three
other activists to be politically motivated.
Arakelyan, who at the previous court hearing stated that he did not
need amnesty and that he wanted acquittal, announced that he was
going to appeal the decision at the Court of Cassation in order to
achieve a complete acquittal.
In the evening Arakelyan met with ANC members and supporters in
Yerevan's Saryan Park. He thanked them for the support during these
two years and said that he would be more active and would take steps
aimed at finding more "in-depth solutions".
ANC parliamentary faction secretary Aram Manukyan said that their
struggle was not only for the release of Arakelyan, but to exclude
the presence of people persecuted for their political views in Armenia.
"Our goal is to make sure no one becomes a political prisoner no
matter what party affiliation they may have," he stated.
ANC faction leader Levon Zurabyan, meanwhile, again accused the
authorities of thwarting the dialogue two years ago with unreasonable
action.
"These authorities have proved that they are ready to sacrifice the
best processes that could lead to the recovery of our society for the
sake of revenge, for political persecution, for creating an atmosphere
of intimidation," he claimed.
"We had been in dialogue over holding early parliamentary and
presidential elections to form a legitimate government in Armenia. Are
they ready to talk about these issues today? Probably not. But our
cause from now on will be to force this talk on these authorities,"
Zurabyan concluded.
http://armenianow.com/news/49208/armenia_opposition_youth_tigran_arakelyan_release