PREPARATIONS FOR UPCOMING RALLY IN VANADZOR

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17 July, 2008

The local authorities have started exerting pressure on the residents
of Vanadzor in order to decrease the number of participants in
tomorrow’s rally due at 5 p.m., informs Arthur Sakunts, Coordinator
of Vanadzor Office of the Helsinki Association.

"The local authorities are using bureaucratic methods. The Regional
Council of Lori has held a consultation with participation of heads of
departments. The topic for discussing was how to lower the number of
participants in the rally. Director of the first medical division has
ordered all his associates not to take part in the rally. The local
police department has called people conditionally detained for 1 March
events and warned them not to partake in the rally," Sakunts informs.

He considers that Armenian authorities have the same face and purpose
throughout the country.

At his visit to Yerevan Sakunts also informed that local Mass Media
of the Lori Region were reluctant to notify the residents of the
upcoming rally, so the opposition had to use handouts.