Minor Victory: Pashinyan Given Amnesty, First Court’s Ruling Upheld

The RA Court of Appeal today denied appeals made by both Haykakan Zhamanak (“Armenian Times”) chief editor Nikol Pashinyan’s defense lawyers and the prosecution. The prosecution wanted Pashinyan acquitted under charges of not only Article 255 Section 1 of the RA Criminal Code (organizing mass riots), but also Article 316 Section 1 (assaulting representative of the authorities).

The Court of Appeal ruled to uphold a January 19 ruling made by the Court of First Instance of Center and Nork-Marash Communities of Yerevan in which Pashinyan was sentenced to 7 years in prison (for being deemed guilty of Article 255 Section 1 only).

The court, citing a June 19, 2009 RA National Assembly decision, however, granted Pashinyan amnesty, thereby cutting his sentence by half (3.5 years instead of 7).