YEREVAN. – The Armenian National Congress considers release of people convicted on politically motivated charges its victory, said Director of Caucasus Institute Alexander Iskandaryan.
“Amnesty is also important for the authorities as they present it as a consensus with the opposition demanded by the international agencies. It will be of great political importance during election campaign,” said political expert.
As Armenian News-NEWS.am reported earlier, Armenian parliament voted for amnesty bill with 91 votes “for” and 1 abstained.
Several supporters of the opposition Armenian National Congress (ANC), who were charged with organizing mass unrests during post-election processes in 2008, may be released under amnesty.
Among them are former MP Sasun Mikaelyan and chief editor of the opposition Haykakan Zhamanak newspaper Nikol Pashinyan. Leader of ANC Levon Ter-Petrosyan said release of his supporters is the key factor to start a dialogue with the authorities.
