23:30, 2 December 2010

Armenian academia stands up for Nikol Pashinyan

Members of the Academy of Sciences of Armenia and other Armenian scholars have signed a statement calling the authorities to consider a possibility to release Nikol Pashinyan, editor-in-chief of the newspaper "Aikakan Zhamanak".

The statement of Armenian scientists in support of Pashinyan was circulated on December 1 with 34 signatories in total. It states that "it is no good for Armenia to keep a journalist in custody in violation of international norms and requirements of conventions."

"Regardless of whether we share Nikol Pashinyan's political views or not, we, as scientists, being guided by our civil conscience and worried about overcoming the political crisis and state of the international reputation of our country, as well as giving relevance to every step aimed at consolidation of the society, we hereby address the authorities of Armenia with a request to consider the release of the convicted journalist and solve this problem," the "Armenia Today" quotes the scholars' statement.