RELATIVES OF THOSE ARRESTED UNDER CASE ON MARCH 1 EVENTS INTEND TO STRUGGLE UNTIL RELEASE OF LAST POLITICAL PRISONER

Noyan Tapan

Au g 15, 2008

YEREVAN, AUGUST 15, NOYAN TAPAN. More than 20 activists of People’s
Movement (PM), wives and relatives of those arrested under the case
on March 1 events staged their regular – 28th protest outside the
prosecutor generals’ office on May 15. They were holding placards "We
Demand Justice" and "We Demand Punishment for the Real Organizers of
the March 1 Evens". This time too, they demanded that the political
persecutions be ended and all the political prisoners be released.

To recap, such protest actions have been held every Friday since
April 7.

After each action, the protesters hand a written demand to the
prosecutor general’s office but no answer has been received so
far. "We, women of the Republic of Armenia, believe that all
this represents political persecution of the opposition by the
authorities, and we raise our voice against these illegalities,"
the letter-complaint reads.

Protester Anzhela Alaverdian told NT correspondent that they will stage
protests until the last political prisoner is released. "There are
political prisoners, hostages in Armenian prisons. A few people have
been released. It is like taking two drops of water from an ocean,"
she said. In her words, "the azatamartiks were arrested for several
empty cartridges, whereas the real criminals and killers are at large
and even beat journalists."