In Armenia, beaten ANC activist hospitalized

Alik, a 27-year-old member of the youth wing of the Armenian National Congress (ANC), beaten during the pre-election campaign in the Achapnyak administrative district of Yerevan, was hospitalized with serious bodily injuries. This was reported by the ANC's pre-election headquarters.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on May 5 Yerevan will hold voting for candidates to the City Board of Elders. On April 22, activists of the oppositional ANC, who conducted pre-election campaign in the Achapnyak administrative district of Yerevan, were attacked. One of the party activists has suffered.

At present, according to the report of representatives of the pre-election headquarters, the beaten ANC activist with serious injuries was hospitalized to the Republic's Hospital in the Achapnyak administrative district.

The staff members of the pre-election headquarters have noted that the incident occurred while the activists were distributing ANC's propaganda leaflets in apartment buildings of the district. "Our activists were approached by a group of guys who called them to leave the district, since, as they pointed out, that was their territory," a representative of the pre-election headquarters said.

In that context, the ANC's pre-election headquarters has made a statement. "This is the fourth case, when some people try to hinder by force the pre-election campaign and activities of the Armenian National Congress. In three cases, attackers themselves said that they were from the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA), and during the rally in front of the City Mayoralty, the police hindered to hold our event," the ANC's statement has noted.

The statement also emphasizes that other political parties "have never faced any obstacles during their pre-election campaign". "This panic behaviour is related to the fact that they began to understand that opposition's victory in the city elections may actually lead to a change of power in the republic. Therefore, some people are instructed to prevent in every way the ANC's pre-election campaign," the ANC's representatives have noted.

They have filed a claim about the occurred incident to the police station of the Achapnyak administrative district.

In its turn, the pre-election headquarters of the Republican Party of Armenia issued a statement condemning all violence and considering unacceptable any obstacles to the pre-election campaign events.