Mediamax, Armenia
February 26,2008
Armenian opposition says activists arrested on "trumped-up" charges
Yerevan, 26 February: The spokesman of [former Armenian President]
Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s election headquarters, Arman Musinyan, said
today that the "authorities are arresting our most active supporters
on trumped-up charges with the aim of decapitating the national
movement".
Speaking at a briefing in Yerevan today, Musinyan said that Suren
Surenyants, a representative of the Republic Party, Garnik Margaryan,
the leader of the Homeland and Honour Party, and Samvel Harutyunyan,
the former mayor of the city of Spitak [Lori Region], were arrested
yesterday, the Mediamax news agency has reported.
"Not only do all these actions harm our movement, they have a
counter-effect as well, attracting more and more people to Freedom
Square [venue in Yerevan where Ter-Petrosyan’s supporters are
rallying in protest against the result of the 19 February
presidential election]," he said. He added that the authorities are
attempting to close Ter-Petrosyan’s election headquarters, explaining
this by the end of the election.
Musinyan said that yesterday 11 protesters started an open-ended
hunger strike on Freedom Square. At the same time, he accused the
municipal authorities of being reluctant to ensure ambulances are
permanently available at the square.
Asked by Mediamax to comment on reports that the Yerkrapah Union of
Volunteers has joined Ter-Petrosyan’s team, Musinyan said that this
statement was made at the rally by Miasnik Malkhasyan, the deputy
chairman of this organization, and "if Yerkrapah’s position has
changed, its leadership would have announced this".