Activists urge authorities of 23 cities to break twin-city ties with Yerevan

Yerevan-based public organizations and activists have appealed to Mayoralties of Volgograd, Stavropol, Rostov-on-Don and other 19 cities urging them to suspend or terminate their twinning agreements with Yerevan because of the use of force against women-activists of the "Apricot Country" at a sitting of the City Council of Elders.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on February 13, Marine Khachatryan and Sona Agekyan, activists of the "Apricot Country", brought cans with sewage water to the sitting of the Council of Elders, aiming to put them on the table of the Yerevan Mayor and draw attention to the failed sewage system of the Nubarashen Prison; however, members of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) forced them out of the hall. According to Ms Khachatryan, she was hit on her head.

The appeal was signed by 58 public figures and organizations, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports.

The signatories point out that after the incident at the sitting of the Council of Elders of Yerevan on February 13, no one was brought to responsibility. In their opinion, Taron Margaryan, the Mayor of Yerevan, the Mayoralty staff and the members of the Council of Elders for the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) must bear responsibility for the use of force against the activists of the "Apricot Country", and the Council of Elders should be dissolved.

The appeal to the authorities of Yerevan's sister cities also notes that the violence against women-deputies was followed by "administrative repressions", and, along with that, the Mayoralty tries to prohibit reporters from attending the sittings of the Council of Elders.

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