The youth wing of the Republican Party of Armenia held a protest in front of the parliament building in Yerevan under the slogan "Freedom for political prisoners!" According to the organizers, the picket was aimed against political oppression and persecution in the country.
The demonstrators held photographs of arrested members of the "Sacred Struggle" movement (including Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan) and other individuals detained on various charges.
The rally coincided with a Euronest session in parliament. The organizers stated their intention to draw the attention of European MEPs to the issue of freedom of speech and the persecution of opposition figures for their views.
Members of the opposition factions "I Have the Honor" and "Armenia" appealed to MEPs, calling on them not to apply double standards in assessing the human rights situation in Armenia. They highlighted numerous cases of persecution for criticizing the government and called for sanctions against government officials who interfere in the judicial system. The issue of Armenian prisoners of war held in Azerbaijan was also raised.
