IN ARMENIA, "HERITAGE" PARTY CALLS ON PRESIDENT TO RELEASE SARGIS ATSPANYAN

10817
Aug 03 2009, 23:10

Stepan Safaryan, an MP from the parliamentary faction "Heritage"
has sent an open letter to President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan asking
him to release the veteran of the Karabakh War Sargis Atspanyan. He
argues that the prisoner’s father is dying.

"Apart from the political and legal joke played on this worthy person,
I’ve learnt also about the heavy position both of himself and his
family: the spouses lack boldness to explain their small children
living in France and Sargis’ father dying of cancer, where their
father and son is now," runs Mr Safaryan’s letter.

"Sargis Atspanyan should say goodbye to his father, execute his
last son’s duty. With your assistance, this is realizable," wrote
the deputy.

Let us remind you that earlier human rights defenders had stated that
Atspanyan was not released out of vengeance. As they said, according
to the Law "On Amnesty", participants of the Karabakh War are covered
by this act. However, until now, the Ministry of Justice has failed
to sanction Atspanyan’s release, as there is no certificate about
his participation in the War in his case file.

On June 30, Vardan Arutyunyan, a member of the committee in defence
of political prisoners, stated that the amnesty of five Armenian
political prisoners, Atspanyan inclusive, is deliberately protracted.

Mr Safaryan has also addressed President with a request to give Mr
Atspanyan a certificate that he had participated in the Karabakh War
and had contributed a lot to formation of the army, as reported by
the PanARMENIAN.Net.