Pages

Friday 29 February 2008

Politically motivated arrests in Armenia

Below is a list of politically motivated arrests and detentions in post-election Armenia. This process is still on-going. All detainees are either affiliated with opposition parties or relatives, acquaintances and friends of oppositionists. *Source - A1+ and Human Rights in Armenia.

Leader of the New Times Party (NZhK) Aram Karapetian is charged with treachery.

Leader of the “Democratic Homeland” Party Petros Makeyan is arrested for intervening with the activities of an electoral commission.

Smbat Aivazian, member of “Hanrapetutiun” (Republic) Party is arrested for carrying an illegal weapon.

Gagik Jhanhirian is taken into custody for carrying illegal weapons and explosives. He is charged with violence against a government representative.

Leader of the “Motherland and Honour” Party Garnik Margarian were kept in the police for 20 hours without any grounds.

Suren Sureniants is taken under arrest. He is charged with the violation of the law on “Marches, Rallies and Demonstrations.”

Vardan Kirakossian and Artak Sisakian were released after a two-day stay at the police station.

Ashot Zakarian, Arsen Sargsian, Vahan Harutiunian, Artak Sargsian and Gurgen Eghazarian were taken to the police station and released in a few hours.

Husik Baghdasarian, Seryoja Siradeghian and Yurik Mamian are detained.

see also here

1 comment:

artmika said...

U.S. Critical Of Armenian Vote, Arrests

The United States has criticized the Armenian government for its handling of last week’s presidential election and expressed serious concern at the ensued arrests of several top allies of the main opposition candidate, former President Levon Ter-Petrosian. It has also urged the authorities in Yerevan not to use force against tens of thousands of his supporters demonstrating against the official vote results.

In a statement issued late Thursday, the U.S. mission to the OSCE headquarters in Vienna said Washington is “very concerned” about the arrests and the reported closure of Ter-Petrosian’s campaign offices across Armenia. “These kinds of actions are not consistent with democratic principles, and we urge the Government of Armenia to uphold the rule of law and international democratic standards in proceeding on these cases,” it said. [...]