19:06, 3 October 2018

In Armenia, two "Sasna Tsrer" members go on hunger strike

Pavel Manukyan at a press conference in the seized building of the patrol-and-post police service. Yerevan, July 2016. Photo by Tigran Petrosyan for the "Caucasian Knot"

Pavel Manukyan, accused of seizing a police regiment in Yerevan, has declared an indefinite hunger strike with the demand to change the pre-trial restriction measure to him. Armen Bilyan, accused of killing a policeman during the seizure of the regiment building, has joined the demand voiced by Pavel Manukyan.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that most participants of the armed unit "Sasna Tsrer" (Daredevils of Sassoun) were released after the change of power in Armenia. On August 17, only three members of unit Pavel Manukyan, Smbat Barsegyan, and Armen Bilyan remained under arrest.

The unit "Sasna Tsrer", which included supporters of the opposition "Constituent Parliament", held the building of the patrol-and-post police service in the capital of Armenia in the period from July 17 to July 31, 2016. After Nikol Pashinyan, the leader of the protests, had become the Prime Minister of Armenia, the unit "Sasna Tsrer" announced its readiness to cooperate with the new government.

According to advocate Inessa Petrosyan, Pavel Manukyan also refused medical assistance in protest.

Armen Balyan also declared a hunger strike to support Pavel Manukyan.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on October 3, 2018 at 02:42 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

Author: Tigran Petrosyan

Source: CK correspondent