SMBAT AYVAZYAN DOES NOT NEED PARDON

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[08:12 pm] 14 November, 2008

"In the name of all political prisoners I announce that we do not
need amnesty, we want justice in the courts and in the country,"
member of the political board of the "Hanrapetutyun" (Republic)
Party Smbat Ayvazyan said in the Court of General Jurisdiction of
Kentron and Nork-Marash districts today.

"The authorities hoped that political prisoners would plead guilty
and they would release the arrestees thus imitating that they had
implemented PACE Resolutions 1609 and 1620.But the Justice Minister
confessed that the political prisoners couldn’t be pardoned or released
as they hadn’t pleaded guilty. The Minister should realise that one
cannot plead guilty of a crime he hasn’t committed," said Ayvazyan.

ADVOCATES DEMAND ACQUITTAL

"I think it is no use introducing Smbat Ayvazyan as everyone knows
him," Advocate Ervand Varosyan said in his addressing speech.

Relying on the PACE’s recommendation to immediately release "all those
detained on artificial and political motivation," the advocates urged
the judge to bring in a verdict of "not guilty."

Remind that Smbat Ayvazyan is charged under Atricle 316 /Item 1/
and Article 235 /Item 4/ of the RoA CC. The prosecutor had requested
the court to sentence Ayvazyan to a 2.5 years’ imprisonment.

The advocates stated that on February 24 Smbat Ayvazyan had been
detained and kept in the police sixth department without a legal
reasoning. After finding out that Ayvazyan’s gun was legal they
continued keeping him in custody by the time they could find a proper
"legal reasoning." This evidences to the fact that they had plotted
Ayvazyan’s arrest and illegal custody beforehand, said the advocates.

Smbat Ayvazyan will make an address on November 19.