Opposition march today and proposal to the Secretary General CoE

Videos: A1+, Tert.am

Proposal text: Lragir.am

March, attack, arrest, sit-in, march, arrest

Read more from here, here & here.

Armenian National Congress Press Release

On December 28th at 2:00 pm, there will be a press conference given by ANC coordinator Levon Zurabyan, Head of the Nikol Pashinyan’s election headquarters Davit Matevosyan, and representative of the ANC central office Vladimir Karapetyan.  The press conference will take place at the central office of the Armenian National Congress.

The topic of the press conference will be the December 27th attack on HAK supporters who were campaigning for Nikol Pashinyan, candidate for District 10 Parliamentary position.

The address is 19A, Koryun, 4th floor.

Urgent! 5 were beaten

Today, December 27, 2009, at around 5:30 pm, in the courtyard near the buildings at Toumanyan and Nalbandyan streets (“Boxi Hayat”), HAK youth activists for Nikol Pashinyan’s election campaign were approached by a small gang of undesirables, who demanded that the youths stop their election campaigning. When the gang’s illegitimate demand was denied, they attacked the youths, beating them with their fists and with metal pipes.

Vahagn Gevorgyan, Sahak Muradyan, Sargis Gevorgyan, Tevos Matevosyan and Sergey Gasparyan were transported to a hospital with varying degrees of bodily injuries (mostly with lacerations and contusions, the result of blows by metal objects). Vladimir Karapetyan, representative of the central office of the HAK, also suffered injuries at the scene.

Armenian Police Brutality & Incompetence…

These are videos taken at the regular Friday political walks of opposition youth activists in Yerevan. The police and Red Berets used force against multiple individuals, as can be seen in the video, including punching and kneeing Vahagn Gevorgyan, who was recently released on amnesty, and is the son of one of the editors of Haykakan Zhamanak, Haik Gevorgyan.
Narek Hovakimyan, who was beaten on July 25, 2008 for his political views and activities, was also vocal during this protest. In response to accusations by the police that the youth’s statements were insulting to Sargsyan, he asked a very simple, yet important question. Here is the transcript (starting at 4:58):

“Mister Zurabyan, one minute, Mister policeman, answer me one question…
When I want him to resign, when I find that his policies are wrong, that with his policies he is destroying the Fatherland…
Am I insulting him personally when I yell out, ‘Heratsir’?
I am a 20 year old free citizen of the Republic of Armenia
Please answer my question.
What is it that has insulted him personally?
Have we cursed?
Have we said something about him personally?
All we’ve said is ‘Heratsir’
What is it that is personally insulting in that?”

Not surprisingly, the policeman is completely unable to answer the question. His muffled response is something like, ‘you don’t understand.’

[Heratsir – to leave, in this case to leave office, to resign]

Alas…

Tigran Arakelyan has made an announcement that he is restarting his hunger strike as of September 8th, at 10 am. The following is a summary of his statement:

He notes that he has been in prison since July 5th, and in the prison hospital since July 15th, as he is suffering the effects of having been hit on the head by the butt of a gun by someone in the group which attacked him and the other youth. He has been treated well while in the hospital, but his condition is worsening. It no longer matters to him when his illness will reach a critical point. No investigation has been made of his case, and no reason has been given for the 2 month prolongation of his imprisonment.

He considers himself to be a political hostage, imprisoned solely for his political views. He does not consider the actions against him as personal, but rather as actions against the active youth, and against the people. From the beginning, the authorities hoped they could silence and intimidate the youth. But they were unsuccessful, and it is time they resigned from such methods.

He apologizes to his friends, the members of HAK, and the RoA President Levon Ter-Petrosyan, all of whom tried to persuade him not to go to this extreme form of protest due to his present poor health. However, he is standing by his decision to go on hunger strike.

Youth Demonstration in Support of Tigran Arakelyan

Photo by The Caucasian Knot

Yesterday, on Friday, 14th of August young members of Aremnian National Congress (ANC) and particularly members of HIMA and Hatuk Gund youth intiatives organized a youth demonstration in support of Tigran Arakelyan – opposition young activist – who was detained on 5th of July (Day of Constitution) based on the fabricated charges of hooliganism (more about the case here and here).

Opposition young activists started their demonstration from the ANC Headquarters and continued downtown Yerevan. They were holding posters in support of Tirgan and other political prisoners as well as they were chanting famous opposition slogans such as “Struggle, struggle till the end” and “1+1+1+1+1+”.

Representatives of the opposition youth activists reaffirmed their readiness to organize regular public awareness raising demonstrations until all political prisoners are set free. Next demonstration is scheduled on next Friday, 21st of August.

No incidents were recorded with policemen although they were following the youth through the whole demonstration.

More coverage and pictures from here.

We have Wikipedia page NOW!!!

Finally, we have set up the Wikipedia page of HIMA and it can be accessed from here. Please share it with your networks!

36+35 are ready to go to prison instead of Arman Babajanyanjan

Thirty-six youth members of the ANC made the following announcement on July 30, in defense of Arman Babajanyan, chief editor of Zhamanak daily newspaper:
“Arman Babajanyan’s extremely poor health has forced us to announce that we, the undersigned, are ready to take his place in prison for one month, in exchange for his early release.”
The announcement is still open to signatures.

Addendum: On July 31, 35 more young members of the ANC from the United States have joined the petition.

From Haykakan Zhamanak and Azatutyun Radio.

See also the Open Letter from Human Rights Watch to Armenian Prime Minister and Minister of Justice regarding Arman Babajanyan  and the letter of Reporters Without Borders.

Nothing Is Forgotten

This graffiti is at the intersection of Mashtots and Grigor Lusavorich Streets.
The two armed men are depicted in the stance very similar to that of the army gunmen of the infamous March 1 video.