On July 18 the Commission on Early Release and Release on Parole refused the
plight of “Hospital for Convicts” penitentiary institution for the early release
of the Chief Editor of “Zhamanak-Yerevan” daily Arman Babajanian. As it has
been reported, Arman Babajanian, having been sentenced to 3.5 years’ imprisonment
for document fraud to evade military service, has twice made a petition of early
release, in July and December 2007, and was refused both time. On July 8, 2008
to execute the ruling of the court of general jurisdiction of Kenton and Nork-Marash
communities of Yerevan the administration of “Hospital for Convicts” penitentiary
institution, where Arman Babajanian is presently kept, filed a plight for the
early release of the journalist with the Commission above. The Armenian authorities
were also urged to release the Chief Editor of “Zhamanak-Yerevan” by a number
of international human rights and journalistic organizations, professional associations,
media and NGOs of the country. Their statements stressed in particular that
Arman Babajanian has already spent two years in prison and the issue of his
early release can be decided positively, proceeding from his good conduct. It
was also noted that the sentence of the head of “Zhamanak-Yerevan” is disproportionate
to the offense: normally the punishment for such offences does not exceed 2-3
years (see YPC Weekly Newsletter, July
4-10, 2008, June 27 – July 3,
2008, June 20-26, 2008,
June 13-19, 2008).
