Armenian student activists ‘renewing hunger-strike’ to demand army deferment

December 18, 2017 By administrator

After desperate attempts of constructive dialogue with the authorities, students of the Yerevan State University have decided to renew their campaign for re-establishing the right to military deferment.

David Petrosyan, who heads the civic group For Developing Science, announced in a Facebook video address on Monday morning that they have decided to go on a hunger-strike again to raise the demand for revising the recently amended legislation.

“Our campaign ended during the hunger-strike. So we are launching a hunger-strike again until our demand is met,” he said.

Members of the group want the previous law “On Military Service and the Status of Servicemen” to be in effect to allow students of government-funded educational institutions to be exempt from military service until the completion of studies.

“The Ministry of Defense won’t accept the negative impact of the law upon science, and the importance of the right to deferment. Our joint work with parliament members and officials of the Ministry of Defense did not yield any tangible result. Those negotiations are going on not for the purpose of finding solutions but just for keeping the process going. So it doesn’t make any sense to continue them under the current conditions,” Petrosyan added.

The protesting students ended their week-long teach-in and hunger-strike on November 15, agreeing to a plan for civilized debate with the authorities.

The National Assembly passed the controversial bill on November 15.

President Serzh Sargsyan signed the measure into law on November 29.

Armenian politician declares hunger-strike against ‘anti-constitutional’ order

November 20, 2017 By administrator

President of the National Self-Determination Union Paruyr Hayrikyan has gone on a hunger-strike outside the Central Electoral Commission (CEC) in protest against a decision to ban a petition campaign aiming to change the Constitution.

The politician considers the CEC’s decision unconstitutional.

“We all know that the adopted Constitution contains transitional provision allowing three initiators to enforce changes, attracting 200,000 citizens, the National Assembly and the President. But 200,000 citizens cannot possibly gather together the parliamentarians in just half an hour,” he told reporters, considering the issue extremely important.

Hayrikyan said they have their own version of the basic law which, if properly considered, “would make every third person feel that he is the master of this country”. He added the CEC rejected their earlier request for an official form for signatures, citing the absence of legislative guarantees allowing the procedure.

“[The CEC president] could have said at least that the provision is ineffective. I only wanted to call attention to the problem, considering its importance as a panacea” he added.

Armenia: 4 youth join Yerevan Council member on hunger strike #ElectricYerevan

July 8, 2015 By administrator

YEREVAN. – Four 19-year-olds that are participating in the sit-in at Liberty Square, in Armenia’s capital city of Yerevan, have joined the ongoing hunger strike by member of the opposition “Barev [Hello], Yerevan” faction at Yerevan Council, activist Davit Sanasaryan.

These youth told Armenian News-NEWS.am that their hunger strike is for an indefinite period, and that they will continue it until people assemble at Liberty Square and they achieve their ultimate goal: the revoking of the recent decision to raise the price of electricity in the country.

The youth on hunger strike added that they are fighting against this electricity price hike ever since the first days of the respective demonstrations.

Yerevan police on Monday dispersed the demonstrators that had closed down Baghramyan Avenue—which leads to the Office of the President—for the past two weeks. Subsequently, the protesters assembled at Liberty Square, where their demonstration had initially started. They also wanted to hold a march, but the police did not allow it. Many protesters are staying at the square overnight.

Two protestors go on hunger strike in Yerevan’s Baghramyan Avenue #ElectricYerevan

June 30, 2015 By administrator

YEREVAN. – Two young protestors, Harutyun Hautyunyan and Hayk Parikyan, went on hunger strike at 18:00 at the junction of Isahakyan and Baghramyan streets. The They don’t yet know how long their hunger strike will last.

The young men demand to cancel the decision on electricity tariff rise.

Yerevan Deputy Chief of Police Valery Osipyan approached them and inquired who they are and how long their hunger strike will last, to which the young men responded: “Until our demand is met.”

Responding to the journalists’ question on whether Armenia’s Chief of Police knows there are people on hunger strike, Osipyan said: “The Chief of Police is aware of the operative situation.”