Epress.am News from Armenia
Political prisoner Tigran Araqelyan, sentenced to six years in prison by a lower court in 2012, was today released. Court of Appeals Judge Eva Darbinyan cut the defendant’s sentence by half and declared that he is being granted amnesty. Recall, Araqelyan was charged with Article 258 (“hooliganism”), and Article 316 Paragraphs 1 and 2 (“violence or threat of violence against a representative of the authorities”) of the RA Criminal Code. He was found guilty of the first two charges and acquitted of only the last charge (“life-threatening violence against a representative of the authorities”). He has been in prison for 2 years and 2 months.
Artak Karapetyan, another activist with the Armenian National Congress (HAK) also charged in this case, who had previously been sentenced to 3.5 years in prison, was also granted amnesty. His sentence was reduced by 6 months (down to 3 years), and he was likewise acquitted of Article 316 Paragraph 2.
The other two HAK activists also charged in this case, Sargis Gevorgyan and David Kiramijyan, who had been sentenced to 2 years’ imprisonment under charges of hooliganism, today were handed suspended sentences with a probation of 1 year and 6 months, respectively.