26 August 2008, 13:30
In Armenia, strikers continue their protest, despite oppressions
Despite repressions, the sit-in strike held in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, will surely go on. Karen Karapetyan, leader of the youth wing of the Armenian National Movement, made the statement.
He said that on August 26, at about 1:20 p.m. local time, a huge group of policemen appeared in the Northern Avenue; they grasped four young activists of the opposition who were at that moment in the Avenue and took them to police station of the "Centre" Prefecture.
Karen Karapetyan and press secretary of the Armenian National Congress Arman Musinyan told journalists that during the detention one of the four detainees, Tigran Arakelyan felt bad with his heart, and he was taken away to the Second City Hospital. However, after a short while, eight policemen came to the hospital and forced the young man to the police station, despite his poor health condition. Mr Arakelyan is a member of the youth wing of the Armenian National Movement. Arman Musinyan and Karen Karapetyan could not give the names of other detainees.
The eyewitnesses who rallied in the Avenue told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that at about 1 p.m. a large group of "crimson berets" appeared in the avenue and detained the young men; the detainment was accompanied by beatings, and Tigran Arakelyan felt bad as a result of beatings.
Author: Lilit Ovanisyan, CK correspondent