30/05/2011 (Agence Europe) - Ashton welcomes general amnesty. The EU has welcomed the amnesty voted on by the Armenian parliament on 26 May (day of 20th anniversary of the country's independence) for around 800 prisoners. The amnesty, which was proposed by President Serge Sarkissian, will see several members of the Armenian opposition, who had been condemned and imprisoned further to the violence which accompanied the demonstrations protesting at the results of the presidential elections of February 2008. “I warmly welcome this general amnesty” and the decision of President Sarkissian to investigate the violence which followed the 2008 elections, Catherine Ashton commented in a press release dated 27 May. (H.B./transl.fl)