Epress.am News from Armenia
Imprisoned journalist and chief editor of local daily Haykakan Jamanak (“Armenian Times”) Nikol Pashinyan WILL be among those granted amnesty under the draft general amnesty presented in the National Assembly today, another attorney representing Pashinyan — Vahe Grigoryan — told Epress.am today.
In his opinion, a literal reading of Point 9.2 of the amnesty indicates that this point should not be an obstacle to Pashinyan’s release.
“A literal interpretation of the law indicates that the amnesty won’t be applied if the previously designated sentence was reduced on the basis of decisions to announce amnesty by the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia or decree on awarding a pardon by the President of the Republic of Armenia. Here it says ‘decisions’ while one such decision was made referring to Nikol Pashinyan,” explained Grigoryan.
According to him, Pashinyan will be granted amnesty according to point 4 of the draft proposal which includes those who didn’t serve time in prison for an intentionally committed crime in the past who were sentenced for
(a) at most 5 years’ imprisonment and have served no less than a quarter of their term.
(b) at most 10 years’ imprisonment and have served no less than a third of their term.
Epress.am once again spoke with another Pashinyan lawyer, Yervand Varosyan, whose earlier statement contradicted Grigoryan’s current position. Varosyan corrected his previous stance, saying:
“Point 9 Subpoint 9 of the amnesty, not to apply amnesty on those who were released on conditional parole for a crime committed involuntarily and […] again committed a premeditated crime, does not refer to Pashinyan; that is, he will be granted amnesty according to point 4.”