In Armenia, 90 percent of participants in events on March 1, 2008, are covered by amnesty

The amnesty will cover 90 percent of figurants in the case about events on March 1, 2008. Some of them will get at large; the prison terms for the rest of them will be reduced. Victor Dallakyan, Deputy of the National Assembly, told journalists about it today after the closed sitting of the parliamentary commission on state and legal matters.

"As a whole, it's an unprecedented amnesty," Mr Dallakyan has noted and added that according to the bill of amnesty, the following activists of the opposition, accused of rendering resistance to the authorities, will be releasedGagik Dzhangiryan, former deputy general public prosecutor, and Smbat Aivazyan, former minister on taxes and dues.

David Arutyunyan, chairman of the above parliamentary commission on state and legal matters, told journalists that the focus was on people sentenced to no more than five years of imprisonment.

As to Deputies Miasnik Malkhasyan and Sasun Mikaelyan, accused of organizing the events on March 1, for whom the prosecution had demanded 6 and 9 years of imprisonment accordingly, Mr Arutyunyan has noted: "Until there're no verdicts, there's no sense talking about their amnesty."

According to preliminary data, the amnesty will not cover the persons accused under part 2, Article 316 "Commission of violence against power official entailing threat to his or her life" and convicted under part 2, Article 235 "Illegal bearing of arms".

: "Parliament of Armenia to consider amnesty on June 19," "In Armenia, Malkhasyan, figurant of former "Case of Seven", demands acquittal," "Armenia prepares amnesty bill."