31 May 2008, 12:26
Armenia: hunger strike in "Erablur" military pantheon continues
The protest hunger strike initiated on May 27 by ex-combatants and members of the "Republic" Party is held for the fifth day already near the chapel of the "Erablur" military pantheon in Yerevan.
The participants of the action demand to release all the political prisoners in fulfilment of the PACE's Resolution No. 1609 in relation to Armenia.
Yesterday, policemen arrived and asked the protesters to present themselves. In response, the hunger-strikers demonstrated the newspaper with detailed information about the activists. Then, some of the policemen left, but some of them remained.
Now, the hunger strike is held by 17 persons, three women among them: Sona Sevoyan, Anait Grigoryan and Gayane Galstyan. The state of health of the participants of protest action is satisfactory.
We remind you that on April 16 the PACE (Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe) stated that as far as Armenia would fail to obey to the requirement on releasing political prisoners and changing the recent amendments made in the legislation on holding rallies, the Armenia's membership in the Council of Europe will be challenged.
Author: Lilit Ovanisyan, CK correspondent
