Demanding Hatspanyan's release
Statement by the Committee in Defense of Political Prisoners and the Persecuted of Armenia:
"French citizen, participant of the liberation struggle, political prisoner Sargis Hatspanyan, who was sentenced to prison for his political activities, is still in prison.
He was supposed to be released by the amnesty declared in 2009. However, the Armenian authorities refused to release him by giving false reasons, ignoring the amnesty that they had declared and showing their overt caprice. It was clear that the authorities were guided by revenge, not the law. They didn't meet the demands and refused to release him conditionally.
The recent amnesty also refers to Sargis Hatspanyan. However, the government's sources say Hatspanyan will remain in prison until the end of his term. This time, the Armenian authorities are giving false reasons and showing that they ignore the law once again. They are also showing that the motive behind their actions against Hatspanyan is revenge.
The Committee in Defense of Political Prisoners and the Persecuted expresses its support to Hatspanyan, condemns any manifestation of revenge and demands that the existing authorities immediately release Hatspanyan by respecting the amnesty that they have declared."
Let us remind that Sargis Hatspanyan's term ends on June 9.
