Civil activists against rising electricity prices perceive the sentencing of one of them as a “message” addressed to each of them.

A court in Yerevan on Thursday acknowledged Narek Hakobyan, one of the activists who organized protests in front of the building of the regulatory Public Utilities Commission, guilty of having used violence against a policeman during a brawl. He sentenced to six months in prison.

The prosecution accused the young man of inflicting an injury to one of the policemen beating them kicking. Hakobian denied, saying it was even physically incapable of attacking a police officer.

Hakobian argued that the verdict was based on the testimony of three police officers, while the court found no “credible” testimony demonstrators who were also witnesses to the events.

The activist, who has been detained pending the hearing of his appeal to a higher court, said that the sentence of the court is trying to intimidate not only them but also other activists who continue to organize protests against rising electricity prices.

“When someone is sent to prison under an article of the Criminal Code for participating in a rally and did something in it, it is clear that this person and his fellow activists will feel some pressure “he denounced.

The civil rights activist Argishti Kivirian, which has itself been the subject of a number of lawsuits and litigation after taking part in demonstrations, believes that the court decision against Hakobian is a “revenge” of authorities.

“By sentencing this young man, they send a message to other active citizens, saying. ‘If you continue, the same can happen to you”