YEREVAN. – As an institute, I assess as normal that people make a guarantee; but let this not be a political step. Taron Simonyan, a member of the opposition Bright Armenia faction in parliament, said this in a conversation with journalists today, referring to the statement spread by 60 cultural figures calling for commuting the pretrial measure of second President Robert Kocharyan and releasing him from prison.

According to him, it is one thing that they say, "There is political persecution against this figure, that is why we want that person to come out," but it is another thing when they say, "we want justice to be administered,” but find that this person will not interfere with the administration of that justice while at liberty.

"If those people have expressed with the second option, that's okay," Simonyan stressed. "[But] if they have entered the process in a political way, I think cultural workers should stay away from politics as much as possible."

Asked whether there is a public demand for Robert Kocharyan to be released, Simonyan said he had no impression of such a public demand. "[But] I see that there may be such a professional demand from lawyers who find that keeping Kocharyan in prison does not in any way promote the administration of justice."