Defenders of Yerevan park are tried in Armenia

In Yerevan, on May 25, a trial took place of the initiative group named "Team" – public figures Karen Shikoyan, Manvel Sarkisyan, Tigran Khzmalyan and Karo Egnukyan, who had spoken against construction in the Mashtots Park. The decision to punish the activists has not been passed yet by the Administrative Court; the verdict will be announced on June 8.

The members of the "Team'' are accused of disobeying the police on April 15 during dismantling the kiosks, which had been moved from Abovyan Street – one of the central streets of Yerevan – to the Mashtots Park. On April 15, the activists broke into the territory of the kiosks; and the police treated their actions as illegal and squeezed all the activists outside the privately owned territory.

Later, the police demanded to bring the above four activists to administrative liability. In his defence, Mr Shikoyan said that the guarding by policemen of the above kiosks in the park was illegal. ''There was no legal basis; and public activists attempted by themselves to dismantle the illegally erected kiosks,'' he said.

According to the political scientist Manvel Sarkisyan, when the activists had entered the territory of the kiosks, the policemen assured them that there were no violations in their actions; however, later they brought the case to the court.

Judge Agasi Darbinyan has appointed the announcement of the verdict to the activists for June 8.