Epress.am News from Armenia
Today, it was crowded in front of the the presidential palace as multiple groups of people held protestes. A large portion of the protesters were from the Nairit Factory staff. The factory workers last spoke to the Energy and Natural Resources Minister Yervand Zakharyan on December 29. The Nairit factory press spokesperson Anush Harutyunyan told Epress.am that the minister had told the factory workers that they would receive a one month's salary before January 20. Today is January 20th and the workers do not have their salaries. The presidential palace promised to host a delegation from the Nairit workers.
Another group in the protest were the relatives of the imprisoned Ashot Arushanyan. Arushanyan’s father, Lavrenti Arushanyan told Epress.am that their extended family is indefinitely going on a hunger strike, demanding that his son be given a fair verdict. The prisoner’s father, mother, uncle, aunts and other relatives are taking part in the strike.
Recall, that Arushanyan’s verdict by the Court of First Instance has remained unchanged. Ashot Arushanyan was sentenced to 5 and a half years imprisonment. According to the most recent accusations, on November 21, 2011, the defendant, Edgar Karakeshishyan, organized to steal 56 million AMD ($135,000) from the car of Manana Grain company’s deputy director Armen Manukyan, while information about the transfer of money was given by Arushanyan. The Arushanyans appealed to the Court of Appeals. The family demands that the president personally follows the case, in order for the criminal case against investigator Mushegh Aleksanyan and judge Titan Uzoyan be investigated fairly.