Armenia: Gevorg Safaryan goes on hunger strike

Gevorg Safaryan, a supporter of the Front of National Salvation "New Armenia", accused of using violence to a power agent, has declared a hunger strike demanding to put him into a solitary cell.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Gevorg Safaryan, a member of the movement "Constituent Parliament", was detained on New Year's night after a conflict with the police in Freedom Square in Yerevan. On January 3, the court arrested the activist for two months.

Gevorg Safaryan went on a hunger strike after on January 14 the administration of the Nubarashen Prison unexpectedly decided to move him into a general prison cell, said Varuzhan Avetisyan, a member of the Political Council of the "New Armenia".

According to Avetisyan, earlier Safaryan had been kept in a cell with Yke Kyuregyan, an activist, convicted on charges of shooting at the courthouse.

After Safaryan went on a hunger strike, he was transferred into the cell, intended for such prisoners. He spent a day there; and then was transferred back to Kyuregyan's cell, where they additionally placed five more prisoners. In support of Safaryan, Kyuregyan also went on hunger strike.

According to Varuzhan Avetisyan, Safaryan's case received a great public resonance: Armenian and international human rights organizations had strongly condemned the authorities for arresting the activist.

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