‘We Can Wait Every Second’: Another Oppositionist’s Jail Term Reaches Half-Way Mark

Today marks the half-way point of oppositionist Shmavon Galstyan’s prison term. Recall, Galstyan was arrested early in 2008 and charged with Article 206 of the RA Criminal Code (tax evasion by a citizen).

In a few cases (in particular, with Aram Bareghamyan and Harutyun Urutyan), the men — who are referred to as political prisoners by the opposition — were released once they completed half of their prison sentence.

Committee for the Protection of Political Prisoners and Persecuted People Chair Vardan Harutyunyan, speaking to Epress.am yesterday, said there is currently no news “regarding political prisoners.”

“Every second one can wait for their release, since this issue depends on a decision by one man: [Armenian President] Serzh Sargsyan. That is to say, however possible each political prisoner’s release is, it’s not that possible, since one man decides,” he said.

Recall, HAK leader Levon Ter-Petrossian announced during the opposition’s April 28 rally that he expects the only unfulfilled demand of the three demands he put forth to the Sargsyan administration — to free all remaining political prisoners — to be met by May 28.

However, a group of disgruntled demonstrators didn’t want to leave Liberty Square on Apr. 28 and sat on the steps of the opera building, calling for a sit-in. HAK coordinator Levon Zurabyan appealed to the activists and said if all remaining political prisoners are not released by May 31, he will join the sit-in they are calling for.