ArmInfo. Spokesperson of Heritage Party David Sanasaryan told reporters on August 26 the fight release of all political prisoners and for a power change will be continued in Armenia.
In his words, during the July protests, the authorities isolated all potential leaders that could coordinate the public discontent and lead Sasna Tsrer's movement to a power change. "After our arrest, we have better realized the need in an immediate change of power. Consequently, the fight continues. We are at a new stage that will gather pace gradually," he said urging all possible legal ways of protests, including strikes and boycotts. The activists called the people to father in the Liberty Square later today, on August 26.
A member of Heritage Party Hovsep Khurshudyan, in turn, said the fight for release of political prisoners should be political. To that end, he urged the Armenian public and international organizations to continue pressing the authorities. "The authorities have already spread rumors about upcoming amnesty, but we do not need benevolence by Serzh Sargsyan and his team. They must stop criminal persecutions against oppositionists and remove the fabricated criminal cases," he said.
The Heritage Party representatives called on Andrias Ghukasyan, the coordinator of Rise Up! Armenia Movement to stop his hunger strike that continues for 26 days already.
Sanasaryan and Khurshudyan were detained during anti-governmental demonstrations in mid-July when Sasna Tsrer group seized a police compound in Yerevan demanding among others the president's resignation. Both face the same charges under Article 225.1 of the Armenian Criminal Code (Organization of mass disorder, accompanied with violence, pogroms, arson, destruction or damage to property, using fire-arms, explosives or explosive devices, or by armed resistance to the representative of the authorities, is punished with imprisonment for the term of 4 to 10 years). The measure of restraint against them was 2-month arrest, but the Court of Appeal released them on bail.
As for Andrias Ghukasyan, the Court of Appeal left unchanged the measure of restraint against him. He was detained on July 29 during clashes with Police that used special means against demonstrators. Ghukasyan is charged with organization of public unrest. He went on hunger strike and considers himself a political prisoner.