Members of the Social-Democratic Hnchak Party (SDHP) Hambardzum Yeghiazarian and Garegin Sedrakian have joined the four hunger strikers of the Armenian Pan National Movement since 10:30 a.m.

The RA Police are dismissing the claims against the opposition representatives. Today the Administrative Court of Armenia decided to dismiss the suit against Davit Shahnazarian, member of the Armenian Pan-National Movement, as the police had withdrawn from their own suit.

Today detained MP Sasun Mikayelian was allowed to visit his birthplace, Vanatur, to participate in his brother’s funeral. Sasun Mikayelian’s brother, Sargis Mikayelian, had stopped treatment after Sasun’s detention.

It is already a week Karabakh war veterans have gone on a hunger-strike in the Yereblur. An “Arabkir” detachment veteran Hamlet Petrossian informed A1+ that three hunger-strikers had to stop the strike because of a sudden worsening of health.

Political scientist, member of the Political Chair of the University of Florida, Brian Moraski, visited the People's Party of Armenia (HZhK) on June 2. During the visit he met with the HZhK leader Stepan Demirchian who ran for presidency in 2003 and, according to official data, took the second place.

On June 4 the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia will consider the state of mass media and will propose legislative amendments. The NA Standing Committee of Science, Education, Culture and Youth will hold parliamentary hearings on the legislative regulation of mass media following the Constitutional amendments.

“Power is usurped in Armenia and all efforts taken by the authorities are directed to holding power to the maximum with minimum losses,” former deputy speaker of the National Assembly Karapet Rubinian said today.

Today former presidential candidate Arman Melikian referred to a recent statement issued by the RoA President's Adviser Garnik Isagulian.

Nine more people, among them member of the Hanrapetutiun (Republic) Party Lyova Eghazarian, joined the hunger-strikers in Yereblur on May 30. They demand that the political prisoners be released and the terms of PACE Resolution 1609 be fulfilled.

On May 30 political prisoners’ wives and children staged a protest action near the RoA General Prosecutor’s Office. The children were holding posters and shouting “Free our fathers.”

The National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia holds parliamentary hearings on the special public report of Armenia’s Human Rights Defender on the presidential elections of February 19 and the post-election developments on June 5. The decision was taken during today’s joint sitting of the National Assembly’s Standing Committees on Human Rights Defense and European Integration.

The pre-election and voting period of Armenia’s presidential election was conducted in a manner that mostly met OSCE commitments, but problems arose, notably after the vote, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) said in a final report on the February election, released today

We have received numerous letters and telephone calls from the USA, Lebanon, Canada, France, Cyprus, Austria and Russia. People voice support for Zhirair Sefilian who might be expelled from Armenia.

Hunger-strike still remains the best way in Armenia to voice a protest against the authorities. Two members of the Pan-Armenian National Movement (HHSh) Sargis Tamazian and Karen Karapetian and the director of “Hayk” daily Armen Zurabian have gone on a hunger-strike near the HHSh board. The strike will continue till June 20 and the strikers will replace each other every three days.

Armenia’s Human Rights Ombudsman Armen Harutiunian hasn’t responded to the objections of the RoA Prosecutor’s Office to his special report on “the presidential election of February 19 and post-election developments.”

Today the Administrative Court dismissed the claim of the 4 diplomats that demanded that the 25 February decision of former FM Vardan Oskanian be annulled. On 25 February Vardan Oskanian relieved 10 diplomats of their posts for they had expressed concern about the post-election situation in Armenia and had called to both sides to beware of the temptation of solving problems through fights.

On 28 May an activist of youth oppositional movement “Hima” (Now) and “Sksel a” (It Has Started) Arsen Kharatyan was brutally beaten in Yerevan. The Armenian authorities which are reluctant to investigate the offences occurred during the presidential election and are against the dispersal of peaceful demonstrations, commit new outrages and pursue dictate of force.

Today Republican Gagik Minassian and Member of the “Heritage” Party Larissa Alaverdian were hosted at the Hayeli Club to discuss the issue of Karabakh conflict settlement. “No RA Parliament can endanger the Nagorno-Karabakh achievements of the past 20 years”, declared Gagik Minassian in reply to an “A1+” question if Serzh Sargssian had discussed the possible solutions to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict acceptable for the Republican Party.

Eleven Artsakh War veterans have been on a hunger strike in Yerablur for three days already. They demand that the political prisoners be released and the terms of PACE Resolution 1609 be fulfilled. Most of the hunger strikers are members of the “Hanrapetutyun” (Republic) Party; the others are Yerkrapah Volunteers.

Today the RA Police renounced the claim against Levon Zourabian, former press secretary of Levon Ter-Petrossian. “Vain proceeding was instituted against me. The demands were illogical. I couldn’t understand what misdeed I had committed and I believe the police didn’t know either. It is still a mystery to me”, Levon Zourabian told “A1+”.

On May 28, at about 14:00 three strangers severely beat Arsen Kharatian, one of the leaders of “Hima” youth movement. A few days ago Arsen was called up by a gentleman who introduced himself as a reporter of “Life” journal and invited Kharatian to an interview. Kharatian agreed and on May 28 went to meet the correspondent as arranged.

Chairman of the “New Times” Party Aram Karapetian is still in medical center “Erebuni”. According to the informational service of the “New Times” Party, Karapetian expresses his gratitude and appreciation towards his party companions, National Movement participants, political figures and those sympathizing him, who were by his side in his hour of need.

The Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), meeting in Kyiv on 26 and 27 May 2008, welcomed the initiatives taken by the Armenian authorities to address the issues contained in Resolution 1609 (2008) on the functioning of democratic institutions in Armenia. However, it is concerned that, to date, these initiatives have led to only a few tangible results regarding...

Armenia is a constitutional republic with a popularly elected president and a unicameral legislature (National Assembly). The February 2008 presidential elections were significantly flawed.