Armenian lawyer reports mass arrests of opposition members

Aykakan Zhamanak, Yerevan
21 May 04

The leader of the International Union of Lawyers, Tigran Ter-Yesayan,
has said that the mass arrests of opposition representatives continued
all over the republic last night. A group of lawyers who assist him
did not manage to give legal advice to arrested opposition activists.

Ter-Yesayan told us that there were many cases when lawyers went
to police stations on request, but did not manage to give legal
advice to arrested people because they had already been sentenced to
administrative imprisonment. This makes us conclude that the court
hearings took place only at the police station.

Asked about his assessment of the mass arrests of opposition activists,
Tigran Yesayan replied: “Such actions by the law-enforcement agencies
are against the law. They are not envisaged in any law. This is
violence which demonstrates the authorities’ biased attitude towards
certain people, groups and even families.” Incidentally, Tigran
Ter-Yesayan is going to send information about yesterday’s arrests
to international organizations and foreign embassies in Armenia.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress