Justice Minister does not know convicts in March 1 case
"Amnesty is a means to reduce public tension," Justice Minister Hrayr Tovmasyan said in the parliament on May 25 after presenting the draft resolution on amnesty.
Amnesty will be enacted in Armenia for the ninth time. Under the document, 396 convicts and 153 pretrial detainees will be released, the prison terms of 379 inmates will be reduced.
In reply to Heritage Party MP Vardan Khachatryan whether the amnesty will be granted to people imprisoned after the March 1-2, 2008 events, the Justice Minister said, "I do not know all people convicted of the March 1 events by name and I cannot say whether they will be amnestied or not."
On May 20, President Serzh Sargsyan offered the National Assembly to declare amnesty on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of Armenia's independence.
