Month: February 2019

Turkish-Armenian MP Garo Paylan, representing the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), took to Twitter to conveys a message of solidarity and support to Leyla Guven who has been on hunger strike for 100 days.

“Leyla Guven has been on hunger strike for 100 days to fight an unlawful isolation. Her only demand is about making the laws work. Let the laws work. Great job Leyla,” Paylan tweeted.

To remind, Leyla Guven of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), launched her action on November 8 while in jail to protest against Ocalan’s prison conditions.

She was freed last month under judicial supervision but continued her protest, refusing any treatment. Guven, 55, is consuming only sugared and bread.

Police on Friday blocked supporters from approaching Guven’s house in the Kurdish-majority city of Diyarbakir after a rally called by the HDP, an AFP correspondent said.

 or salted water. More than 200 prisoners are on hunger strike to protest what they call Ocalan’s isolation, according to the HDP.

All the talks in Russia, including the media publications that Armenia will withdraw from the EAEU and the forces from outside are working on it, are not true, Chairman of the Russian State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs, Eurasian Integration and Relations with Compatriots Leonid Kalashnikov said at a news conference today.

“I think Armenia’s parliament has made a definite step in a right direction by creating a standing committee to deal with Eurasian integration issues. Armenia and EAEU have firm ties which give economic effect, and which is seen in figures,” Kalashnikov said.

With the decision of the Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan nature protection minister Erik Grigoryan will visit Republic of Kenya March 11-15.

The minister will participate in the 4th session of the UN environment summit held in Kenyan capital Nairobi.

The expenses are made by the inviting side.

Chairperson of the NA’s Human Rights and Public Affairs Standing Committee Naira Zohrabyan expressed regret that the government gave a negative conclusion to the bill authored by her which offers calculating one pre-trial detention day as 1,5. She said she had some expectations that the executive would reject her proposal.

“Such like bill has been earlier submitted by MP Edmon Marukyan but was rejected. Rejection of my bill was expected too. Of course, the groundings of the government are not acceptable for me, as having worked as a journalist for quite a long time and having covered the sector for quite a long time, I know what is going on in cells for preliminary detention,” she told Aysor.am.

“About 23-25 people are being kept in cells intended for 7-8 people. People are sleeping in turns, which is an additional punishment for the detainees. We offer to display a humanitarian step and consider one detention day as 1,5 day,” Zohrabyan said.

She stressed that the government’s comments that the courts will be overloaded if the bill is approved are ungrounded.

“You have seen on the eve that relatives of hundred convicts and detainees came to the NA yard to meet me. I am being informed that the convicts are planning to declare mass hunger strike, but I have urged them not to undertake such desperate steps hoping that my bill would have been approved today,” she said.

Zohrabyan said her last hope is for the bill to receive the positive conclusion of the State-Legal Committee and they will have an opportunity to discuss it at the parliament.

“If not, my authorities as a chairperson of the Human Rights and Public Affairs Standing Committee and a lawmaker will end,” Zohrabyan stressed.

The MP also added that there is no humane motivation in the grounding of the government for which she regrets.