17:41, 14 October 2013

In Armenia, ANC activist Tigran Arakelyan released in the courtroom

Today, the Criminal Court of Appeal of Armenia has announced a verdict in the case of four young oppositional activists accused of hooliganism. One of them, Tigran Arakelyan, who had been sentenced by a court of the first instance to six years in prison, was released from custody in the courtroom.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on July 20, 2012, the activists of the "Armenian National Congress" (ANC) Tigran Arakelyan, Artak Karapetyan, David Kiramijyan and Sarkis Gevorgyan were sentenced to terms ranging from two to six years in prison. The court found them guilty of disorderly conduct and disobeying the police in a conflict that happened on August 9, 2011, of a group of young people and the police in Yerevan. Activists say they had committed no illegal acts and were beaten by policemen.

At today's court session, Tigran Arakelyan, an activist of the ANC, who has spent two years and two months in jail, was released under an amnesty law right in the courtroom.

According to the verdict of the Court of Appeal, the amnesty has covered the other three defendants. The prison term of Artak Karapetyan has been reduced from 3.5 to 3 years, while David Kiramijyan and Sarkis Gevorgyan were released conditionally with one-year-long probation term.

Author: Lilit Ovanisyan

Source: CK correspondent