Epress.am News from Armenia
Epress.am will not be posting any news items between 1 and 2 pm today.
The staff of Epress.am will be participating in the demonstration in defense of imprisoned opposition journalist, Haykakan Jamanak (“Armenian Times”) chief editor Nikol Pashinyan at Yerevan’s Republic Square during this time.
Note that on Jan. 19, 2010, the Court of General Jurisdiction in Armenia found Nikol Pashinyan guilty in organizing “mass disturbances” on 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).
Both Pashinian and the opposition bloc Armenian National Congress (HAK) consider the case politically motivated.