At a press conference today, Artur Grigoryan, lawyer for National Assembly Deputy Khachatur Sukiasyan, who remains in hiding after the events of March 1, 2008, hinted that his client might surface even though he is convinced that he will be arrested and tried.

According to the provisions of the recently announced general amnesty all fugitives have until July 31 to hand themselves over to law enforcement officials in order to qualify for possible pardons. "It cannot be ruled out that Mr. Sukiasyan will present himself. As his attorney, I can say that in fact this is very likely," added Mr. Grigoryan. The attorney stated that Mr. Sukiasyan had committed no crime and that he hadn't given his consent to changes in the National Assembly legislation and his detention according to Article 225. The defense team has motioned the Special Investigative Service to come up with another form of pre-trial custody for Mr. Sukiasyan other than incarceration arguing that the deputy still enjoys parliamentary inviolability.