Hayk Harutyunyan, a former member of Armenia’s Public Council who had been sentenced to 4 years and 6 for participating in a “revolution” in Yerevan on November 5, 2013 has been conditionally released.

On that day, a small group of demonstrators led by Shant Harutyunyan set off fireworks and made their way from Liberty Square to the Presidential Palace before being stopped by police.

 Laura Petrosyan, Hayk Harutyunyan’s mother, told Hetq that the release was unexpected.

In all, 38 protesters were taken into custody on November 5, 2013 when they set off fireworks as they made their way from Liberty Square to the Presidential Palace. Fourteen of the 38 were formally arrested on charges of hooliganism, and twelve were found guilty.

Shant Harutyunyan was  sentenced to six years imprisonment on October 17 on the charge of “hooliganism committed with a weapon or another item used as a weapon”.