Varoujan Garabedian - Pardon and Deportation

Pardon and Deportation

In the late 1990s a petition signed by over one million people in Armenia, appeals by Armenian government and civic leaders including former and current presidents of Armenia were sent to the French authorities to pardon Varoujan Garabedian and Armenia offered asylum to Garabedian upon his release from prison.. After spending 17 years in jail, he was pardoned by the President of France Jacques Chirac in April 23, 2001 on the condition that he be deported to Armenia. The mayor of Yerevan, Robert Nazaryan, had pledged to provide him with employment and accommodation, and in Yerevan Garabedian had a meeting with Prime Minister Andranik Markarian, who expressed happiness at his release. While in prison, he started to paint and is an author of many paintings.