Pashinyan Not Receiving Letters, Daily Paper Not Receiving his Articles

The directors of Artik penitentiary are unlawfully refraining from accepting letters and appeals for imprisoned journalist and chief editor of local daily Haykakan Jamanak (“Armenian Times”) Nikol Pashinyan, said Pashinyan’s wife, Anna Hakobyan, after speaking with Pashinyan on Dec. 9.

According to Hakobyan, Pashinyan told her that the Artik staff not only are not handing over to the jailed journalist her last week’s envelopes, but also have refrained from accepting any envelopes or packages on his behalf. 

Pashinyan also informed his wife that he has been writing articles every day, however; the Haykakan Jamanak editorial offices have not received any of them. Furthermore, according to Hakobyan, such unlawful activities are particularly worrisome with regard to Pashinyan’s life and safety. In the absence of communication it’s not possible to receive information on Pashinyan’s state, which, taking into consideration past incidents of attack, is a serious cause for concern. 

Recall that Pashinyan, 35, was among several prominent opposition figures who went into hiding in March 2008 following a government crackdown on supporters of former president Levon Ter-Petrossian demanding a re-run of a disputed presidential election. He surrendered to the authorities in July 2009 and was subsequently sentenced to seven years in prison on charges of stirring up “mass disturbances” in Yerevan that left ten people dead. 

The oppositionist will have to serve only half of the prison sentence because of a general amnesty declared by the authorities in June 2009. Both he and Ter-Petrossian’s Armenian National Congress consider the case politically motivated.