Epress.am News from Armenia
RA Minister of Justice Hrair Tovmasyan didn’t want to respond to the question of whether stricter measures have been applied to chief editor of local daily Haykakan Jamanak (“Armenian Times”), imprisoned journalist Nikol Pashinyan.
“Generally, let me say, the issue with the newspapers, why he isn’t receiving them, was simply technical, the penitentiary rightfully says it has no obligation to get the papers by mail, and there’s a reference that the corresponding postal system division records that there hasn’t been any case where they hand over the papers to the penitentiary administration and they don’t receive them.
“On the 14 and the 15, he received newspapers, there were instances with papers being delayed, but [Pashinyan] not receiving his papers won’t happen. In connection with the letters, an investigation has been launched; it’s been registered, that those haven’t happened. As an alternative, I can advise that all those writings he sent to his editorial office to send them to the Ministry of Justice; I’m not saying [send a] complaint, but simply that they can’t not get to me and I promise you, I will pass them on to the [Haykakan Jamanak] editorial [team].
“There are a few questions for me which I simply don’t understand: Why did that one get transferred and not the 15, why when he met with his attorney did he not hand over [his letters and articles]; he had other meetings and he could’ve handed them then.
“There are one set of results from the investigation; I’m not completely satisfied, so I’ll appoint a new investigation [into the matter]; I will clarify and if there’s been a violation, those guilty will be punished,” Tovmasyan told journalists today.