02 April 2008, 11:34
In Armenia, 28 arrested oppositionists begin their hunger strike
On April 2, twenty-eight activists of Armenian opposition, now kept in custody, went on a hunger strike, and eight of them - a termless one, finding the charges against them to be forged.
The statement of the eight oppositionists, who are members of pre-election offices of Levon Ter-Petrosyan (Vladimir Arakelyan, Marzpetuni Aivazyan, Sayat Ovannisyan, Armen Grigoryan, Shmavon Galstyan, Yuri Gukasyan, Samvel Arutyunyan and Khachik Gasparyan), emphasizes that they are political prisoners, who were presented far-fetched charges within a falsified criminal case forged against them.
The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports that the termless hunger-strikers demand: to recognize the results of presidential election on February 19 null and void; to launch an international independent investigation aimed at finding those guilty of the events on March 1; to set free all the political prisoners; to stop political prosecutions; and to ensure the right to hold rallies and marches.
The remaining 20 activists of the opposition have declared a precautionary one-day hunger strike, and since April 9, it is also termless. In their statement, the twenty oppositionists, members of the central pre-election office of Ter-Petrosyan and former high-ranking officials among them, note that they were prosecuted already during the pre-election period, and on the voting day supporters of Levon Ter-Petrosyan were subject to all forms of prosecution, intimidation and terror all over the country.
Author: Lilit Ovanisyan, CK correspondent
