Court in Armenia extends custody of oppositionist Tigran Arakelyan

The Court of General Jurisdiction of Yerevan Communities Centre and Nork-Marash has satisfied the petition of the Special Investigation Service of Armenia (SISA) to extend the custody of the opposition activist Tigran Arakelyan by two more months.

In the evening on August 9, seven young activists of the oppositional ANC (Armenian National Congress) were detained. A criminal case was opened; and on August 12, three of them were released under recognizance not to leave. On August 19, the court decided to release three more detainees, while the petition to change the freedom restriction measure of Tigran Arakelyan was rejected.

Tigran Arakelyan refuses to admit his charges. The ANC has announced him a political prisoner.

Several human rights organizations have stated application of violence against young oppositional activists and called on the authorities to release Tigran Arakelyan. Among the organizations that spoke in defence of ANC activists are the "Centre for Rights and Freedoms", "Youth for Democracy", the Armenian Committee of the Helsinki Civil Assembly, the Journalists' Club "Asparez", and the Vanadzor Office of the Helsinki Civil Assembly.