Protesters drink champagne to celebrate their victory
Festive mood prevailed outside the General Prosecutor's Office on May 27. Relatives and adherents of former and current political prisoners lifted glasses of champagne to congratulate each other on the release of opposition activists.
Today they gathered outside the building for the 153rd time to demand the release of the opposition loyalists.
Melisa Brown, the wife of Armenia's former Foreign Minister Alexander Arzumanyan said the protesters would continue their struggle until the last prisoner was set free.
Marine Harutyunyan, the wife of Abovyan's former Mayor Grigor Voskerchyan, noted the authorities had met one of the key demands of the opposition by releasing the political prisoners. Now they seek to disclose the perpetrators of the March 1 events.
She thanked the families of the political prisoners for fighting for the release of their relatives in the past three years.
The protesters were divided into two groups and headed for Artik and "Hospital for Convicts" penitentiaries to meet amnestied oppositionists Nikol Pashinyan and Sasun Mikaelyan respectively.
Aram Manukyan, board chairman of the Armenian National Movement (HHSh), says the Friday protests yielded tangible results. He hopes that all political prisoners will be freed before the opposition's May 31 rally.
"The authorities have softened their position as they are in a terrible plight. The release of the political prisoners will mark the start of a new process, we shall do our utmost to reveal the culprits of the March 1 unrest," he said.
On May 20, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan proposed to the National Assembly to declare a general amnesty that would also lead to the release of several opposition activists remaining in jail after the March 1, 2008, tragic clashes. The resolution was overwhelmingly approved by Armenian lawmakers on May 26.
Opposition loyalists Shmavon Galstyan, Ara Hovhannisyan and Nikol Pashinyan are still in prison.
