Opposition front gives time to authorities
“New Armenia” public salvation front has given 5 days’ time to the authorities in order to release member of the movement Gevorg Safaryan, who was detained for two months. “If the claim isn’t carried out, we will have to apply to Nils Muižnieks, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights. At the moment the institute of the Human Rights Defender is eliminated in Armenia and we have nothing else to do,” announced Hmayak Hovhannisyan, member of the Political Board of “New Armenia” public salvation front. Member of the opposition front Garegin Chugaszyan expresses his viewpoint on the detention of Gevorg Safaryan, “For unknown reasons, the day before yesterday a decision was made to transfer Gevorg Safaryan from the cell, where he had been with Hayk Kyureghyan. There were criminals in the new cell, tensions arose and that’s why at present Gevorg is in a punishment cell.” He says that at the moment an advocate deals with that issue and they are going to fight for the conditions of Gevorg’s detention and his release until the end. According to the words of Andrias Ghukasyan, by circulating information whether “New Armenia” will participate in parliamentary referendum of 2017 or not, the authorities aim at digesting illegitimate Constitution: “At present our main goal is keeping this issue at the center of attention in Armenia and international arena and to do everything so that our assessment coincides with the assessment of the international community. Criminal regime operates in Armenia, a group of people close to the authorities has been formed, which uses the state resources against political opponents.”
