Sarkis Hatspanian does not intend to leave Armenia
Sarkis Hatspanian, a French national of Armenian descent, is not going to leave Armenia though the Passport and Visa Department at the Police Service of Armenia has refused to give him a residence permit.
On November 10, the French Armenian is going to appeal the decision in the Administrative Court. However, he does not instill great hopes in the court.
"Our courts are not independent. After passing through all instances in Armenia you finally go to the European Court of Human Rights," he said.
The Passport and Visa Department turned down Hatspanian's request after receiving a negative reply from the National Security Service.
"The NSS finds that I threaten Armenia's national security," says Hatspanian.
Head of the NSS staff said Hatspanian was denied a residence permit for his political views.
Sarkis Hatspanian, an opposition activist and veteran of the Nagorno-Karabakh War, was released from prison in September 2011. He was arrested in November 2008 on charges of false denunciation and sentenced to 3.5 years in prison. The opposition considered his arrest to be politically motivated.
