At around 8:10 pm on May 27, imprisoned journalist, chief editor of local daily Haykakan Jamanak (“Armenian Times”) Nikol Pashinyan was released from Artik penitentiary. Waiting outside the prison for his impending release since early morning were his friends, family, supporters and members of the Armenian National Congress.

Pashinyan is among a hundreds of prisoners who are being released under a general amnesty declared by Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and approved by parliament this week.