Armenia: war veteran Avetisyan resumes his hunger strike at Ombudsman's office

Khachik Avetisyan, a Karabakh War veteran, has resumed his hunger strike at the office of the Armenian Ombudsman.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Avetisyan stated, on April 17 at a rally in support of the activists of the "Constituent Parliament" who were arrested on April 7 that should the authorities failed to release political prisoners, a group of war veterans would go on hunger strike in support of political prisoners. On April 20, the veteran began his protest alone. On the same day, the Deputy Ombudsman of Armenia came out to meet him. Because of the events dedicated to 100 years of the Armenian Genocide, Avetisyan decided to continue the hunger strike at home.

According to Avetisyan, he continues his protest alone; other war veterans have not joined him yet.

He added that he is seeking the release the arrested activists of the "Constituent Parliament", the convicts in the case of "Million Mask March" and Colonel Volodya Avetisyan.

The veteran said that he had disseminated an appeal urging the members of the Armenian Diasporas who have arrived in Armenia to commemorate the victims of the Armenian Genocide, also to raise their voices in defence of political prisoners.

Armen Grigoryan, the above Deputy Ombudsman, who had met Avetisyan, said that the Ombudsman's office "has no authority to interfere in the course of preliminary investigation, trials and sentencing."