Armenian Justice Ministry: 82 detained after March 2008 events were amnestied

PanARMENIAN.Net - As of 7:30 p.m. Yerevan time, 82 persons detained after March 2008 events were amnestied, Ministry of Justice Penitentiary Department press service reported.

The release of prisoners continues, with 28 and 23 persons released from Nubarashen and Vardashen prisons respectively.

Earlier, editor-in-chief of Haykakan Zhamanak paper Nikol Pashinyan and former member of the Armenian parliament Sasun Mikaelyan, convicted in March 1, 2008 case were released.

President Sargsyan offered the National Assembly to declare amnesty on occasion of the 20th anniversary of Armenia’s independence, the proposal being based on article 81.1.1 of the RA Constitution and article 90 of the law on National Assembly regulations. With a vote 91-0, the Armenian parliament approved Thursday, May 26, President Serzh Sargsyan’s proposal for declaration of amnesty for 396 people to be released and 379 to have their sentence cut.

From February 20, 2008, the Armenian opposition led by first president Levon Ter-Petrossian, who ran for presidency in 2008, but was not elected, held rallies in the central part of Yerevan, protesting against the election results. The protest actions resulted in unrest and clashes between the police and rally participants on March 1-2. According to the Office of RA Prosecutor General, around 200 people were injured, 10 people were killed, and over 100 people were arrested.