According to some information, the Armenian authorities decided to release all the political prisoners except for Nikol Pashinyan, the editor-in-chief of the Haykakan Zhamanak newspaper, and Sasun Mikaelyan, a veteran of the Karabakh war, Levon Zurabyan, Coordinator of the Armenian National Congress (ANC), stated at a rally in Yerevan on Nov. 9.

According to him, the authorities are thus trying to escape sanctions by the Council of Europe. “The ruling regime has lately shown obvious signs of panic, particularly pressure on Nikol Pashinyan by means of criminal circles, the aim being to silence the Haykakan Zhamanak newspaper. Over 50 policemen have attacked the young activists today. The reason for the panic is that the authorities are well aware of the fact that the people’s getting completely full of hatred and international pressure is growing,” Zurabyan said.

He pointed out that PACE co-rapporteurs, as well as CE Commissioner for Human Rights Thomas Hammarberg, are to arrive in Armenia before the PACE session scheduled for next January. It is on the threshold of the visits that many of the active Opposition members may be released. Zurabyan stressed that the Opposition’s current task is to continue active struggle for the release of all the political prisoners.

In his turn, Aram Sargsyan, Political Council Chairman, Republic Party, stressed the “Armenian authorities immediate involvement in the recent international criminal scandals.” He also spoke of the video with U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden claiming that the Armenian President asked the U.S. administration for not highlighting recognition of the Armenian Genocide as long as the Armenian-Turkish reconciliation process is under way.

Aram Sargsyan stressed that the illegitimate Armenian authorities’ anti-national policy resulted in a most unfavorable situation in the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process.

“It means that the incumbent authorities’ term is expiring and inevitable changes are coming,” Sargsyan said.