WAVE OF VIOLENCE AGAINST IMPRISONED OPPOSITIONISTS HAS ROSE, OPPOSITION LEADERS STATE
NOYAN TAPAN
Dec 24, 2008
YEREVAN
Acts of violence and pressures upon the political activists accused
on the March 1 criminal case have become stronger in penitentiary
institutions lately. Aram Sargsian, the Chairman of the Hanrapetutiun
(Republic) party, Ararat Zurabian, the Board Chairman of the Armenian
National Movement party, and Levon Zurabian, the Coordinator of the
Armenian National Congress, stated at the December 24 press conference.
According to L. Zurabian, defendant on the "case of the seven" Grigor
Voskerchian, opposition activists Ashot Manukian and Armen Khurshudian
have been beaten cruelly in their prison cells lately. According to
L. Zurabian, the group of masked policemen that had taken part in those
prisoners’ beating the day before, in the morning of December 24 also
appeared in the building of the Nubarashen penitentiary institution,
from which ANC members conclude that the wave of violence in the
prison will continue.
"The regime has repeatedly proved that it can do any meanness. However,
now the authorities have went down and become equal to the lowest
immorality scale," L. Zurabian stated. He affirmed that the authorities
strengthen pressures upon the opposition, as they are afraid to lose
the "case of the seven" in the court. Besides beating, according to
him, in order to psychologically affect prisoners law enforcers move
them to other cells, where the conditions are worse. In consideration
of all this, ANC demands RA Justice Minister Gevorg Danielian’s
resignation, calls RA Ombudsman for publicizing a special report
and the NA Zharangutiun (Heritage) faction for making a proposal to
convene a special sitting.