Monitoring group visits detained oppositionists, says they are deprived of many things
Members of a monitoring group today visited Yerevan Detention Facility of the RA Police Yerevan Department to see the six members of the radical opposition Founding Parliament group, who were arrested on April 7 and charged with planning to organize ‘mass disturbances.’ The detainees did not express any complaints about the Facility or conditions there. Only Founding Parliament Pavel Manukyan started a hunger strike as a sign of protest against the illegal detention. The group also found out that the detained activists were not allowed to see their family members or make telephone calls. The investigative body also restricted their right to communicate with the outside world – something incomprehensible for the monitoring group. Nor can the detainees use a radio or read newspapers. Several members of the radical opposition Founding Parliament group were detained on April 7. The Investigative Committee of Armenia said the detentions took place within the framework of a criminal investigation conducted in connection with possible ‘mass disturbances’ planned during public events scheduled for April 24 – the day when Armenians worldwide will be commemorating the centennial of the Armenian Genocide. Jirair Sefilian, Varuzhan Avetisyan, Gevorg Safaryan, Aram Hakobyan, Hovhannes Ghazaryan, Pavel Manukyan, Garegin Chukaszyan are among the detainees.
