132 oppositionists detained in Armenia

As of the present moment, 132 activists of the opposition have been arrested in Armenia; they were charges under a number of Articles of the Criminal Code. This was reported to the "Caucasian Knot" in a telephone conversation by Armand Musinyan, press secretary of the Election Office of Levon Ter-Petrosyan.

The detainees are accused of violating the law under Articles 225 ("Participation in non-authorized rallies and marches"), Article 149.2 ("Defeating the elections"), Article 300 ("Attempt of violent overthrow of the power"), etc.

Among the activists there are election agents of Levon Ter-Petrosyan, members of the "Republic" Party and Political Movement "Alternative", etc.

Armand Musinyan has informed that arrests are underway in all the regions and cities of the country; in particular, activists from Yerevan, Martuni, Talin and Masis were arrested.

Colonel Gurgen Egiazaryan, former Deputy Head of the Service of National Security, who was already detained but then released several days ago, is again behind the bars; this time he is accused under Article 300 of the Criminal Code of Armenia ("Attempt of violent overthrow of the power"). Mr Egiazaryan, as well as the other two accused under this Article - Karapepet Rubinyan and Erdzhanik Abgaryan, is kept at the SIZO (pre-trial detention facility) of the Service of National Security. The latter two are on hunger strike from March 4.

It has become known to the "Caucasian Knot" from the sources in the opposition that Miasnik Malkhasyan, now kept at the police and recently deprived of his parliamentary immunity, was severely beaten.