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COURT AGAIN DECIDES OPPOSITION YOUTH TO REMAIN IN JAIL AMID SPECULATION ABOUT POSSIBLE SEPTEMBER 21 AMNESTY
Human rights | 19.09.13 | 11:49
Photolure
By Siranuysh Gevorgyan
ArmeniaNow reporter
At Wednesday's session the Appeals Court again rejected the request of
the counsel for the defense for opposition activist Tigran Arakelyan,
who has spent more than two years in jail on a six-year imprisonment
sentence, to be set free while his appeal was being heard.
More than 100 prominent people, including MPs, journalists, actors,
civil society representatives, had presented their guarantees
for Arakelyan to be released. On September 10, four non-governing
factions of the National Assembly, including the Armenian National
Congress (ANC), Heritage, Prosperous Armenia and Dashnaktsutyun,
made a statement with the similar request concerning Arakelyan and
also refereeing to three other activists who face imprisonment.
Despite the fact that 110 people have personally guaranteed that the
defendant will show proper conduct and follow all required procedures
and was also ready to pay a bail of half a million drams (about
$1,250), the court decided not to take into account these petitions.
Some members of the public attending the trial met this decision of
the court with great indignation, shouting "Shame, Shame".
Arakelyan was convicted of hooliganism and using violence against a
police officer and sentenced to six years in prison. He has been in
jail since August 9, 2011.
The issue of Arakelyan's remaining in jail again became a subject
of public debate after ex-Syunik governor Surik Khachatryan's son
Tigran was released from custody and cleared of murder charges about
two weeks ago. Investigation had found that by shooting and killing
a businessman and wounding his brother, Khachatryan and the former
governor's bodyguard acted in self-defense. At the previous court
session Arakelyan himself fumed over this case, saying that "some
murderers get released even before the trial, while he has been jailed
for years on charges of breaking some police officer's nose."
The ANC believes that the court's refusal to change the measure of
restraint in relation to Arakelyan is a "message" of the authorities
to the society - "if the authorities want, people can spend long
years in prison." The ANC has repeatedly stated that Arakelyan is a
political prisoner.
Meanwhile, some media reports lately have suggested that President
Serzh Sargsyan is preparing an amnesty bill on the occasion of the
22nd anniversary of Armenia's independence, which will be marked on
September 21 and that it will also apply to Arakelyan. This, media
speculate, will help the government "get rid of the burden of having
a political prisoner".
According to the Zhoghovurd newspaper, a political decision on
releasing Arakelyan has already been made and he will be set free
under the general amnesty to be declared on the occasion of the
September 21 anniversary.
But the ANC legal affairs office, Armen Khachatryan, is not so
optimistic.
"Only the press is aware of this amnesty. An amnesty is a law, which
is to be adopted by the National Assembly, and the National Assembly,
as far as I know, at least at this moment, has no such bill on its
agenda," Khachatryan told ArmeniaNow.
The last time a general amnesty was declared in Armenia was in 2011
- on the 20th anniversary of independence. At that time among those
released from jail was also Haykakan Zhamanak editor-in-chief, now
member of the ANC parliamentary faction Nikol Pashinyan.
Arakelyan's lawyer said that in the event of an amnesty his client
himself would decide whether he wanted to be amnestied or not.
http://armenianow.com/society/human_rights/48590/armenia_court_appeals_tigran_arakelyan_opposition_ amnesty
From: Baghdasarian
Human rights | 19.09.13 | 11:49
Photolure
By Siranuysh Gevorgyan
ArmeniaNow reporter
At Wednesday's session the Appeals Court again rejected the request of
the counsel for the defense for opposition activist Tigran Arakelyan,
who has spent more than two years in jail on a six-year imprisonment
sentence, to be set free while his appeal was being heard.
More than 100 prominent people, including MPs, journalists, actors,
civil society representatives, had presented their guarantees
for Arakelyan to be released. On September 10, four non-governing
factions of the National Assembly, including the Armenian National
Congress (ANC), Heritage, Prosperous Armenia and Dashnaktsutyun,
made a statement with the similar request concerning Arakelyan and
also refereeing to three other activists who face imprisonment.
Despite the fact that 110 people have personally guaranteed that the
defendant will show proper conduct and follow all required procedures
and was also ready to pay a bail of half a million drams (about
$1,250), the court decided not to take into account these petitions.
Some members of the public attending the trial met this decision of
the court with great indignation, shouting "Shame, Shame".
Arakelyan was convicted of hooliganism and using violence against a
police officer and sentenced to six years in prison. He has been in
jail since August 9, 2011.
The issue of Arakelyan's remaining in jail again became a subject
of public debate after ex-Syunik governor Surik Khachatryan's son
Tigran was released from custody and cleared of murder charges about
two weeks ago. Investigation had found that by shooting and killing
a businessman and wounding his brother, Khachatryan and the former
governor's bodyguard acted in self-defense. At the previous court
session Arakelyan himself fumed over this case, saying that "some
murderers get released even before the trial, while he has been jailed
for years on charges of breaking some police officer's nose."
The ANC believes that the court's refusal to change the measure of
restraint in relation to Arakelyan is a "message" of the authorities
to the society - "if the authorities want, people can spend long
years in prison." The ANC has repeatedly stated that Arakelyan is a
political prisoner.
Meanwhile, some media reports lately have suggested that President
Serzh Sargsyan is preparing an amnesty bill on the occasion of the
22nd anniversary of Armenia's independence, which will be marked on
September 21 and that it will also apply to Arakelyan. This, media
speculate, will help the government "get rid of the burden of having
a political prisoner".
According to the Zhoghovurd newspaper, a political decision on
releasing Arakelyan has already been made and he will be set free
under the general amnesty to be declared on the occasion of the
September 21 anniversary.
But the ANC legal affairs office, Armen Khachatryan, is not so
optimistic.
"Only the press is aware of this amnesty. An amnesty is a law, which
is to be adopted by the National Assembly, and the National Assembly,
as far as I know, at least at this moment, has no such bill on its
agenda," Khachatryan told ArmeniaNow.
The last time a general amnesty was declared in Armenia was in 2011
- on the 20th anniversary of independence. At that time among those
released from jail was also Haykakan Zhamanak editor-in-chief, now
member of the ANC parliamentary faction Nikol Pashinyan.
Arakelyan's lawyer said that in the event of an amnesty his client
himself would decide whether he wanted to be amnestied or not.
http://armenianow.com/society/human_rights/48590/armenia_court_appeals_tigran_arakelyan_opposition_ amnesty
From: Baghdasarian