DETENTION PROLONGED FOR TWO MONTHS

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02 July, 2008

The Court of General Jurisdiction of Kentron and Nork-Marash districts
has prolonged preliminary detention of Abovian’s former Mayor Grigor
Voskerchian for another two months. Voskerchian headed the Abovian
headquarters of Armenia’s first President Levon Ter-Petrossian during
the February 19 presidential election.

Grigor Voskerchian was detained on March 8. He was charged under
Article 225 of the RoA Criminal Code /incitement of mass unrest/.

While Justice Ruben Apinian was considering the issue of changing the
detainee’s restraint, the latter’s relatives, friends and ordinary
citizens were chanting "Grigor, freedom!" "Free and independent
Armenia!" "Release political prisoners" near the court windows.

Voskerchian’s wife, Marine Harutiunian, says her husband was invited
to a police station on March 8. He didn’t return home that day. Later
on they learnt that Voskerchian had been taken to Yerevan.

My husband has never taken to flight. He has always gone to a police
station without any summons," said Mrs. Marine. "Grigor’s health is
very poor. He cannot stay in a ward for a long time."