Grigor Voskerchyan, the former mayor of Abovyan who had been detained for sixteen months, was found guilty today of "organizing mass public disturbances" and sentenced to two years imprisonment. He was immediately released under the provisions of the recently declared general amnesty. "I do not recognize myself as guilty, even if I were imprisoned for one day. I will fight with all my power to have the sentence dropped and to make sure that the time I spent in custody wasn't in vain," Mr. Voskerchyan said. The prosecution had demanded a five year sentence for the accused. After Kentron and Nork-Marash Judge Gagik Poghosyan passed sentence, Mr. Voskerchyan shook the judge's hand. When asked by "Hetq" what the handshake meant, Mr. Voskerchyan explained that it was "simply a gesture of civility and nothing more". "This case once again proves that the courts are receiving political directives. Having no other way to justify the time that y client spent in detainment, this is what they have come up with," stated Stepan Voskanyan, defense lawyer for Mr. Voskerchyan.