20:00, 3 August 2009

In Armenia, imprisoned journalist plans to go on hunger strike

Arman Babadzhanyan, editor-in-chief of the oppositional newspaper "Zhamanak" (Time), sentenced to 3.5 years, whose health causes concern in doctors, has declared his plan to go on hunger strike.

Armen Martirosyan, leader of the faction "Heritage" at the National Assembly of Armenia, told journalists about poor health condition of the convicted journalist. "Not for the first time I visited Arman, but I've never left him with such a heavy feeling, because I didn't notice earlier such obvious health deterioration in any political prisoner," the MP has declared.

He also said that he had sent a letter to President Serzh Sargsyan, trying to draw his attention to the state of health of the young journalist. Armen Martirosyan said that in the recent time the inmate suffered from a rapid, about 40 percent, loss of vision; his right hand is noticeably trembling. These are all the consequences of the tumour sized 7.5 mm that was diagnosed in Babadzhanyan's brain.

Author: Lilit Ovanisyan

Source: CK correspondent