Epress.am News from Armenia
Releasing political prisoners is a political decision, said head of the Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Vanadzor office Artur Sakunts at a press conference in Yerevan today dedicated to international Human Rights Day.
“Since there’s no justice here [in Armenia] and the conditional release parole system is subjective, and it’s only on the basis of political decisions [that decisions are made], then it’s the result of a political decision; that is, not that they’re releasing political prisoners because they’ve come to understand that they must not have [political prisoners], but it’s a political decision,” he said.
According to the human rights activist, international and domestic pressure is of consequence.
“And as a result of these two pressures, the government is so feeble and so weak, that it’s forced to make such a decision. But know for sure, regarding Nikol Pashinyan and Sasun Mikaelyan, I have serious doubts that they’ll do such a thing [i.e. release them], to have such boldness because they feel threatened with respect to their weak authority,” Sakunts added.