168 Zham, Armenia
April 12 2008
ARMENIAN MPS PETITION FOR RELEASE OF HUNGER-STRIKING OPPOSITION
MEMBER
Several Armenian MPs have sent a petition for the release of a senior
opposition member arrested in the aftermath of the 2008 presidential
election unrest.
The MPs want the arrested senior member of the political board of the
opposition Republic Party, Suren Surenyants,who is on hunger strike,
to be released, Armenian newspaper 168 Zham said on 12 April. The
petition was forwarded to theSpecial Investigation Service of the
Prosecutor-General’s Office on 11 April.
Surenyants was arrested on charges of organizing and conducting
events in violation of the law "On conductinggatherings, rallies,
processions and demonstrations", the newspaper said.
The newspaper quoted the press secretary of the Prosecutor-General’s
Office, Sona Truzyan, as saying that thepetition was already under
consideration.
The petition was signed by an MP from the Prosperous Armenia Party,
Naira Zohrabyan; three MPs from the rilingRepublican Party – Armen
Ashotyan, Eduard Sharmazanov, Karen Avagyan; an independent MP Viktor
Dallakyan and a member ofthe Orinats Yerkir (Law-Governed Country)
Party – Hovhannes Margaryan, the newspaper added. Sharmazanov said
thepetition was submitted taking into consideration the health
condition of Surenyants, 168 Zham said.