ARMENIAN NATIONAL CONGRESS DEMANDS EDITOR OF HAYKAKAN ZHAMANAK DAILY TO BE SET FREE

ArmInfo
2009-12-08 10:59:00

ArmInfo. Armenian National Congress demands Nikol Pashinyan, the
editor of Haykakan Zhamanak Daily, to be set free and granted equal
rights to run for additional parliamentary elections scheduled for
January 10 2010.

Despite the current legal proceedings against Pashinyan, the later has
advanced his candidature for the parliament (10th district in Yerevan).

"The General Court of Kentron Community rejected the petition for
Pashinyan’s release from custody in order the later runs for the
parliament on equal terms with his opponents. The Election Code of
Armenia stipulates that a registered candidate can be arrested only
on consent of the CEC. Nikol Pashinyan was registered on December
5 as candidate to the parliament of Armenia: this status allows him
to exercise his rights stipulated by the Constitution of Armenia and
the legislation. The authorities grossly violate the Constitution and
the laws by the above court decision," says the statement by the ANC.

Pashinyan is accused of but not life threatening violence to a
police officer and organization of mass disorders of March 1-2 2008
in Yerevan. Pashinyan has been wanted for over a year and emerged
from the underground after amnesty announcement. The deputy mandate
(10th district) proved vacant after parliamentarian Khachatur Sukiasyan
left it charged with complicity in the above disorders.