Sit-in picket in support of Volodya Avetisyan is over in Yerevan

Supporters of the retired colonel Volodya Avetisyan have stopped their ten-day-long rally in his support. Karabakh War veterans are preparing a new wave of protests, said Gagik Sarukhanyan, the organizers of the picket.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that since July 25, Freedom Square in Yerevan has been hosting an endless sit-in picket in support of Volodya Avetisyan and all political prisoners of Armenia. On July 27, protesters began drawing up a list of supporters of the veteran of the Karabakh War, ready to start new protest actions.

Today, summing up the protest action, Gagik Sarukhanyan, who is also the director of the Fund "Law and Assistance", said in his interview to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that from the very start it was clear that the authorities would not follow the demand of supporters of Avetisyan to release the colonel. First of all, the supporters wanted to remind people that the "fighter for social justice Volodya Avetisyan is in prison."

According to Sarukhanyan, the action enabled activists to evaluate their force and draft further steps.

"We're going to involve not only war veterans, but all citizens of Armenia in the struggle for liberation of Volodya Avetisyan. To this end, we plan meetings throughout the country," said Sarukhanyan, adding that along with the demand to release Avetisyan the agenda will include the issue of change of power.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.