Opposition protest ends without incidents
Scores of Armenian citizens today gathered near the premises of the Public Prosecutor's Office demanding to stop violence against political prisoners. Holding the photos of the twelve political prisoners, they were chanting, "Release political prisoners!," "Struggle till the end!," and "Now!"
Hardly had the protest started when a clash took place between the opposition supporters and police officers.
During the protest action, the policemen cordoned off the building. When several oppositionists tried to break through, a police officer elbowed former political prisoner Vardges Gaspari knocking him to the ground. The protesters hurried to help Gaspari.
The traffic was halted for ten miniutes.
Coordinator of the Armenian National Congress (HAK) Levon Zurabyan called the participants for a "civilized struggle."
"I do not want to be governed by disreputable peoeple who came to power at the cost of bloodshed of October 27 and March 1. I want Armenia to become a fair and democratic country like European countries," said protester Djivan Hovhannisyan.
No other incident was reported during the action.
New Time Party (NZhK) Chairman Aram Karapetyan said that the court had returned an unfair verdict in Nikol's case.
"Keeping Nikol in jail, the authorities want to show that he is an unbalanced political figure who cannot be trusted," said Karapetyan.
They are doing their utmost keep Nikol and Sasun [MIkaelyan] in prison as they are the most revolutionary members of the Armenian National Congress.
"Should one of the political prisoners suffer the slightest damage, the authorities will be held accountable," Board Chairman of the Armenian Pan-National Movement (HHSh) Party Aram Manukyan told journalists.
