23 December 2008, 21:00
Veteran of Karabakh War imprisoned in Armenia wants to refuse from water
In case his demand to release all political prisoners before the New Year remains unfulfilled, Sarkis Atspanyan will refuse drinking water. Now, he is on his termless hunger strike in SIZO "Vardashen".
His health condition is very complex, he is very weak; he has problems with blood pressure, and most of the time he is in bed. Despite all the appeals of the Committee in Defence of Political Prisoners, Mr Atspanyan would not stop his hunger strike. The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent has learnt about it from human rights activist Vardan Arutyunyan, member of Committee in Defence of Political Prisoners.
According to Arsen Babayan, press secretary of the head of the Department of Corrective Establishments of the Ministry of Justice of Armenia, the health condition of the hunger-striker Atspanyan in SIZO "Vardashen" is satisfactory.
Sarkis Atspanyan, who is kept in SIZO (pre-trial prison) "Vardashen" from mid-November, announced his first three-day hunger strike on November 28 with a demand to lift a ban on meeting his relatives and telephone conversations. Then, the administration of the prison made concessions. On December 1, the inmate started his termless hunger strike with a demand of immediate release of all political prisoners.
Author: Lilit Ovanisyan Source: CK correspondent
