Today, the RoA Appeals Court issued a pardon for "Chorrord Ishkhanutyun" and "Aravot" photo-journalist Gagik Shamshyan and lifted the 350,000 fine that had been levied against him. During the trial, Mr. Shamshyan declared that he was innocent and thus wasn't in need of any pardon. "It's not me that should be pardoned but Judge Gagik Avetisyan, for using false testimony to charge people," Mr. Shamshyan said during a conversation with "Hetq". Mr. Shamshyan was charged with disobeying the orders of Judge Gagik Avetisyan and verbally abusing him during the August 8, 2008 trial of Smbat Ayvazyan. The only testimony the court heard against the photo-journalist was given by court officers even though the courtroom was packed at the time. On April 17, 2009, Mr. Shamshyan was found guilty by the Kentron and Nork-Marash Disrict Court and fined an amount equivalent to 350 times his minimum salary. Today, the Appeals Court upheld the prior sentence but since the charge fell under the provisions of the June 19th general amnesty, the court should have issued a new ruling. Had Mr. Shamshyan accepted the amnesty, his sentence would have been cut. But this time Appeals Judge Mher Aghramyan simply executed the pardon and let the defendant walk free and withdrew the fine. "What's interesting is that the court actually didn't have the right to execute the pardon since I was already pardoned for a past offence. They told me that we're doing you a favor; don't raise a fuss. No, I want the law to operate. We should uphold the law," the photo-journalist said. Mr. Shamshyan said the court did this on purpose so that he wouldn't take his case to the European Court of Human Rights. He added that he'd be doing so anyway.