"PETITION FOR PARDON IS EQUAL TO HOLDING SOMEBODY TO RANSOM’

A1+
[06:57 pm] 08 December, 2008

Under a December 3 decree of Serzh Sargsyan three persons imprisoned
under the case of March 1 were granted a presidential pardon. According
to the Spokesman for the President Samvel Farmanyan the President had
taken into consideration their petitions for pardon, criminal record
and other factors.

"With a decree dated December 3rd President Serzh Sargsyan
granted pardon to three detained persons – Edward Ashughyan, Arman
Margaryan and Artur Nazaryan, who were imprisoned for 3-3.5 years
for participating in the disorders in Yerevan on March 1, showing
resistance to the police and committing other acts of violence.

When taking the decision to sign the decree on amnesty, the President
of the republic took into consideration their requests of amnesty to
the President, lack of previous convictions, circumstances of the
criminal case, as well as family circumstances. The President has
always been ready to consider the requests for pardon. There has been
no change in these approaches"said Farmanyan.

The Coordinator of the Center for Legal Assistance to Political
Prisoners Armen Khachatryan told A1+ that the indictees are not
affiliated with any party and were not Ter-Petrosyan’s proxies either
during the pre-election campaign or during the presidential election.

"They filed a petition for pardon avoiding 3-3.5 years in prison and
the threat hanging on their heads. This can be considered as a ransom
taken from a hostage."

Armen Khachatryan says that the authorities continue keeping people
under threat as they do not review prisoners’ restraints and simply
extort petitions for pardon from innocent people.

Remind that the Armenian National Congress issued a statement which
holds: "The regime’s emissaries visit prisons and make the political
prisoners give up their further intentions, break their political
activeness and choose between the right to live and the obscure
prospect to be tortured.

"The authorities’ steps further deepen the gap between the society
and the regime," runs the statement of the Congress.