Nikol Pashinyan's Sentence Will Be Reviewed

On June 8 V. Avetisyan, head of a department at the Prosecutor General's Office that monitors the legacy of implementation of punishements or other types of compulsions, sent a written petition to the T. Navasardyan, Head of Nubarashen penitentiary, asking to review an act that runs counter the current legislation pertaining to the case of Nikol Pashinyan - the former chief-editor of the local Armenian daily Haykakan Jamanak (Armenian Time).

Upon a decision by Navasardyan on 25 May 2010 a calculation was made to reduce the length of Pashinyan's sentence that has not been served yet. Based on that ruling the length of the sentence was reduced by ½ and the total sentence makes 3 years 10 months and 29 days.

The examination of the decision has made it clear that the calculation was made beginning 30 April, 2010, i.e. when the court decision came into force.

The Law on Amnesty was adopted by the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia on 19 June 2009, while Nikol Pashinyan was arrested on 1 July 2009. The actions with which Pashinyan is charged took place before the Law on Amnesty was adopted, therefore the length of the sentence defined by the court should have been calculated from 1 July 2009.

Should the decision be reviewed, it will reduce Pashinyan's term of sentence for about 5 months - 3 years and 6 months.