Shant Harutyunyan stops hunger strike
Leader of the radical opposition Tseghakron party, Shant Harutyunyan, has stopped his hunger strike in Vardashen penitentiary institution, a spokesman for the Justice Ministry’s Penitentiary Department told A1+. “Harutyunyan’s friend Vardan Vardanyan, who is also charged with hooliganism, has also stopped the hunger strike,” Gor Ghlechyan said. Harutyunyan began an indefinite hunger strike in Vardashen prison on June 8 with a demand to be transferred to a separate cell. Vardan Vardanyan later joined his friend. “The inmates’ demand was met last week. They have not presented other demands,” Gor Ghlechyan added. On October 19, 2014, a court in Yerevan found Shant Harutyunyan, his underage son Shahen Harutyunyan and ten other activists, including Vardan Vardanyan who also participated in the November 5, 2013 anti-government protest, guilty of acts of hooliganism and sentenced them from 1 to 7 years in prison. The court sentenced Shant Harutyunyan 6 years in prison. During the hunger strike, Harutyunyan expressed desire to meet with Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan and Chief of Armenian Police Vladimir Gasparyan to discuss with the ‘state security issues.’
