The Armenian Courts of Appeal upheld the verdict of the first instance court to Haykakan Zhamanak editor-in-chief Nikol Pashinyan but applied amnesty and halved his jail sentence.

Thus, Pashinyan will spend 3 years in prison, instead of 7. His lawyer Lusine Sahakyan labeled the court ruling as “shameful and illegal.”

Earlier, the first instance court of Kentron and Nork Marash community of Yerevan found Haykakan Zhamanak newspaper editor-in-chief Nikol Pashinyan guilty of organization of disorders under article 225.1 of the RA Criminal Code and sentenced him to 7 years in prison. At that, judge Mnatsakan Martirosyan acquitted Pashinyan on charges on violence against a public agent (article 316.1)

Nikol Pashinyan has been the editor-in-chief of Haykakan Zhamanak newspaper since 1999. After March 1-2, 2008 disorders, he was wanted by the police. On July 1, 2009 he yielded himself to authorities and was detained. On January 10, he ran for parliament from the 10th constituency but did not succeed.