"WHO IS A REAL PRESIDENT?"
A1+
18 July, 2008
The Committee for the Protection of Political Prisoners will henceforth
attend all events organised by the political prisoners’ wives.
Today they staged a protest action near the RoA General Prosecutor’s
Office. They called for an urgent release of the detainees. The
protesters lodged a written and oral request to Prosecutor General
Aghvan Hovsepian.
Then they held a spontaneous march to the RoA Government with the
posters and photos of the political prisoners. A protester mounted
the steps of the Government building and shouted: "Who is a genuine
president?"
"Levon, president!" chanted the presentees.
Republican MP Armen Ashotian was near the building at that moment.
"I want you to realise that I am insulted to the bottom of my heart
as we have an illiterate president like Serzh Sarkissian who hardly
speaks Armenian. I am an honoured pedagogue. I have taught the Armenian
Language and Literature for fifty years. I can assure you that any
of my pupils is more literate than Serzh Sarkissian. You must help
us to get rid of Serzh Sarkissian," member of the Popular Movement
Clara Khachikovna said to Ashotian.
Meanwhile, the protesters demanded Serzh Sarkissian’s resignation on
the hundredth day of his office.
Afterwards they directed to Northern Avenue to greet the sit-down
strikers.
Today’s action was attended by political prisoner David Aghayan’s
wife and his little son. David Aghayan is Armenian writer Ghazaros
Aghayan’s grandson. He was among the first people who had gone on
a hunger-strike at Liberty Square on February 19 to restore their
violated right to vote.
David Aghayan’s wife informed A1+ that her spouse had been kidnapped
three months before, during the trial of Commander of a Masis Battalion
Husik Baghdasarian.
"During the trial David went out to the corridor to smoke and was
immediately arrested. He was charged under Articles 225 and 316 at
a time," she said.
David Aghayan’s wife is determined to attend all protest actions
until all political prisoners are freed.
The protesters were welcomed with loud music and national
dances. Today’s march was headed by Narek Hovakimian who has recently
been recently beaten.