Epress.am News from Armenia
“Since our authorities haven’t understood that by having political prisoners, they lose the country, they lose Karabakh, they lose [their] position in the negotiating process, they are doomed to fail,” said Yerevan-based political analyst Suren Surenyants at a press conference today.
Speaking about imprisoned journalist Nikol Pashinyan, he said he’s joined political prisoners’ statement released today, despite having some disagreements with the Haykakan Jamanak (“Armenian Times”) chief editor: “I prefer to argue with the man when he is released.”
In Surenyants’ opinion, the Armenian authorities exhibit “doubly immoral behavior” when it comes to Nikol Pashinyan and the other political prisoners. “First, on principal, sentencing innocent people is already immoral. And second, it’s immoral when physical, psychological pressure is applied on innocent people, which we witness today.”
He didn’t consider the demand for ensuring the safety and security of Nikol Pashinyan and other political prisoners to be sufficient. “One request must be to ensure the right of those individuals to be released.”
Surenyants informed the press that he is preparing to send a letter to Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan in the coming days.
“Last December, I wrote such a letter on the subject of prisoners, after which I had a meeting with a high-ranking administration official. In the coming days, I won’t be lazy, and with my right as a citizen of Armenia, I will address another letter to the Armenian president on this matter, and I hope that there will be some response, as happened in the first case,” he said.
Asked if Surenyants, in his letter, could make a suggestion about the news about a small amnesty, which has been the subject of much discussion lately, he said:
“Robert Kocharian and Serzh Sargsyan put those guys in jail. I or any other person is not responsible for imprisoning people. Any way which the president of the republic will use to release people, I will accept, except for coercing people.”
Note that on Jan. 19, 2010, the Court of General Jurisdiction in Armenia found Nikol Pashinyan guilty in the mass riots of Mar. 1, 2008, following the presidential elections in Yerevan, and sentenced him to seven years’ imprisonment.
On Mar. 9, 2010, the Criminal Court of Appeal, by granting Pashinyan amnesty, cut his prison term by half. Both the defense and the prosecutor appealed this decision at the RA Court of Cassation, which revoked the appeals on May 5, 2010.
Pashinyan is currently serving his term at Kosh penitentiary (in Aragatsotn marz or province).