Arrested Armenian radical’s defense files an appeal

YEREVAN, January 9. /Novosti-Armenia/. Defense of the leader of Armenian radical Tseghakron party Shant Harutiunyan who was arrested for clashes with the police in downtown Yerevan has filed an appeal challenging the first instance court’s decision about the arrest and detention, Inessa Petrosyan, defense attorney of Haruniunayn, said Thursday.

Before filing the appeal, the defense attorney met with Harutiunyan who is currently in Yerevan-Kentron penitentiary institution and urged him to stop his hunger-strike that is on for 15 days now.

Harutiunyan refused to stop the hungerstrike and is demanding to lift the ban on meeting relatives, Petrosyan said.

She said her client is exhausted, Novosti-Armenia reports referring to RIA Novosti.

On December 28 the first instance court of Kentron and Nork Marash districts extended detention of Harutiunyan for another two months.

Armed with batons Harutyunyan’s supporters made an attempt to hold an unauthorized march on Mashtots Avenue on November 5 2013 and refused to obey the police’s order not to disturb the public order. The clash involved several hundred demonstrators and one hundred police officers. Fourteen people were arrested and charged with use of violence against representatives of the authorities or threatening violence and criminal damage to property using widely dangerous means.

Harutiunyan was arrested on November 8. He may face a penalty worth from three hundred to five hundred times the minimum wages, arrest for up to two months or imprisonment for up to a year. 

Under a court decree Harutiunyan was transferred to Nubarashen psychiatric hospital on November 19 for an examination, after which he was taken back to Yerevan-Kentron penitentiary institution on December 19. The results of the examination have not been made public so far. –0—