Sasna Tsrer supporters protest against Armenian government
By Rashid Shirinov
Activists of the Armenian civil initiative ‘Pre-Parliament’ held a march in Yerevan in support of members of the Sasna Tsrer group, a group of armed people who seized a police station in Yerevan back in July in protest to the Armenian government. The activists protested against the ban on visiting the arrested group members.
The Sasna Tsrer members seized a police building in Yerevan, and demanded from the Armenian government to release the country’s political prisoners and the resignation of the president. After the group surrendered, the government started arrests and trials over participants of those events.
The march in Yerevan started from the Freedom Square, and brought together more than 100 people. The activists marched to the building of the “Hospital for convicts” penal institution, where wounded members of Sasna Tsrer get treatment. About 40 police officers accompanied the action.
The protesters carried posters with slogans “I believe in fairness of the fight!”, “Free the motherland from the scum!” and “Freedom for political prisoners!”.
They also were chanting slogans “I am Sasna Tsrer!”, “Freedom for political prisoners”, “Armenia without political prisoners”, “Free and independent Armenia”, the Caucasian knot website reported.
Near the prison hospital, the activists faced the police cordon which did not allow the marchers to come closer to the penal institution. After that, the activists returned to the Freedom square.
“The ban on visiting the arrested members of Sasna Tsrer is violation of human rights,” a member of Pre-Parliament Davit Yenigomshyan told reporters.
He noted that, despite the decision of the investigation to lift the ban on visiting the Sasna Tsrer members, most of them are still deprived of the opportunity to meet with their families.
“The rights of Sasna Tsrer members are violated, and accusations against members of the group have no legal basis,” said Yenigomshyan.
He added that the presence of dozens of political prisoners testifies to the fact that human rights in Armenia are protected only on paper.
From the first day of the seizure of a police station in July, Armenian people started protest actions against authorities by gathering on Yerevan’s streets.
Protests were held in the Sari Tagh district as well – part of the district became deenergized and deprived of water, and that was the cause of protests by local residents. Following the rally in Sari Tagh, the police brutally dispersed the protesters and arrested 165 people. Moreover, 73 citizens addressed medical institutions with injuries of varying degrees of severity.
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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov
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