Political prisoners may be released after Hammrberg's visit - oppositionist

The Committee for the Protection of Political Prisoners and Persecuted People will stage Tuesday a protest on the occasion of PACE Commissioner for Human Rights Thomas Hammarberg's visit to Armenia, member of the opposition Armenian National Congress (ANC) and a former foreign minister of Armenia, Alexander Arzumanyan, told Monday a news conference.

"Hammarberg is the first and only European official to speak of political vendetta in Armenia immediately after the March 1 political disorders. He visited penitentiary institutions to listen to political prisoners' views and urge their release. He also called for European structures to give a new definition to the concept of political prisoner ," he stated.

"The developments of recent months come to show that the authorities in Armenia do not realize the mandatory demand for releasing the prisoners. It is no longer tolerated as the international community is adopting a tougher stance on the issue, with the threat of sanctions looming over us," the former diplomat added.