Epress.am News from Armenia
Since Feb. 24, the unlawful restrictions on the correspondence of local daily Haykakan Jamanak (“Armenian Times”) chief editor, imprisoned opposition journalist Nikol Pashinyan have increased, said Pashinyan’s lawyer Vahe Grigoryan, speaking to journalists in Yerevan today.
“In particular, if until Feb. 24 all that was limited to taking and not sending his letters, then on Feb. 24, what happened was a so-called search whereby all his stationary supplies were seized. They are simply physically prohibiting him from writing. Specifically during meetings with me, I myself have noted and accordingly have presented to the European court that at any moment, when Nikol Pashinyan takes his pen in his hand (our meetings were never private and there was always a prison staff member present), it is immediately prohibited and the specific employee comes and sits next to Nikol, at a distance of 1–2, maximum 4 meters, so he can also hear our whispers and forbids all this to be written,” said Grigoryan.
The attorney mentioned that since 2010, he has occasionally submitted complaints on this matter personally to RA Minister of Justice Hrayr Tovmasyan (pictured).
“He doesn’t initiate anything; moreover, the penitentiary denies that such violations have occurred. The justice minister effectively sponsors the outright lie provided by the penitentiary,” he said.
Grigoryan quoted the remarks by the Armenian justice minister during a January 2011 press conference in which he said an investigation will be appointed and “if a violation has occurred, I promise you, the guilty will be punished.”
“Twice I have asked for the investigation results, no such thing has been provided; more so, the deputy justice minister simply informed me that the issue has been studied rather than investigated. In other words, a process which is not commonly prescribed by law and during which it is assumed material is not being prepared. That is, no one can verify its authenticity,” said Grigoryan.
Recall, Pashinyan 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.