Action in defense of Nikol Pashinyan
HAK activists gathered at the presidential residence today with the demand to put an end to assaults against editor-in-chief of "Haykakan Zhamanak" daily Nikol Pashinyan.
According to them, the authorities provoked the incident between Nikol Pashinyan and his cellmates at "Kosh" penitentiary. "The president organized this act against freedom of speech to not let Nikol Pashinyan make any more announcements and not release his articles. The authorities are doing everything they can to silence Nikol and put an end to freedom of speech in Armenia once and for all," HAK activist Tigran Arakelyan told "A1+".
The HAK activists didn't hand any letter today. They say there is no need for that because their purpose was to protest and inform passers-by about the authorities' illegal actions. The HAK activists were offended by the fact that very few journalists were there to provide coverage of the action and said that what happened to Nikol Pashinyan is geared towards their freedom of speech as well.
The action participants marched toward the office of the Council of Europe. They presented their demands to the office representative and promised to transfer a written appeal next time.
The RA Committee on Defense of Political Prisoners and the Persecuted issued a statement in defense of Nikol Pashinyan in which it is stated in particular: "Once again, there are rumors that political prisoner, editor-in-chief of "Haykakan Zhamanak" daily Nikol Pashinyan was assaulted at "Kosh" penitentiary. There is no doubt that different pressures against Pashinyan and the assaults are only aimed at silencing Pashinyan and suspending his activities as a journalist.
The Committee on Defense of Political Prisoners and the Persecuted of Armenia condemns the Armenian authorities' ongoing assaults and provocations against Nikol Pashinyan and calls on all political and non-governmental organizations, advocates, journalists, representatives of international organizations to raise their voices of protest in defense of political prisoner Nikol Pashinyan regardless of their views and positions. We call on Armenian journalists to organize visits to "Kosh" penitentiary in order to break through the information blockade. Only our support and voices can prevent the authorities' from settling scores with the political prisoners."
