YEREVAN. – Activist Shahen Harutyunyan and his friends are staging a protests in Yerevan in memory of “Food Provider”Artur Sargsyan, who died in Armenia medical center Thursday.

A short rally was held in the city’s central Liberty Square, which was followed by a march.

The activists moved from the square to Mashtots Avenue, where they blocked the street, Armenian News – NEWS.am correspondent reports. Some of them sat on the ground, as a result of which the traffic ground to a halt. This march was planned to be held earlier, and Artur Sargsyan was to take part in it.

The police forcefully removed the protestors and opened the road. The protestors are now marching to the Ministry of Justice.

Artur Sargsyan, who was charged with aiding the Sasna Tsrer armed group, was released from prison on December 31, 2016, since he had an illness that was incompatible with imprisonment.

On February 9, however, he was arrested yet again.

Subsequently, Sargsyan went on hunger strike, and demanded that his preventive measure of arrest be commuted.

A few days ago, and with a written guarantee by several dozen MPs, he was released from prison and immediately taken to hospital.

Several days ago, however, he left the hospital on his own volition.

But his health grew worse on Wednesday evening. He was taken to “Armenia” Medical Center, where he underwent surgery, but he did not regain consciousness after this operation.

The Sasna Tsrer armed group had taken over a police patrol regiment building in Yerevan, taken hostages, but later surrendered, in July 2016.

On July 26, Artur Sargsyan had broken through a police wall with a vehicle loaded with food, and delivered food to the members of this armed group.