Hovik Abrahamyan urges Serzh Sargsyan to pardon Sasun Mikaelyan
Speaker of Armenian Parliament Hovik Abrahamyan has asked President Serzh Sargsyan to grand pardon to jailed oppositionist Sasun Mikaelyan.
"Concerned over the health state of our former colleague and supporting the proposal of the coalition government, I urge you to consider the possibility of issuing pardon for Sasun Milkaelyan," Abrahamyan wrote in his letter.
Sasun Mikaelyan was convicted in June 2009 of organizing "mass disturbances" in the wake of the February 2008 presidential election. The resulting eight-year sentence disqualified him from a general amnesty. The prominent oppositionist, who was stripped of his parliament mandate after the arrest, was diagnosed with serious respiratory problems that had adversely affected his heart. Since detention, Mikaelyan has undergone numerous operations but to date he has not properly recovered.
