Epress.am News from Armenia
Civil society activist and former political prisoner Vardges Gaspari today, July 9, once again found a pile of manure dumped outside his doorstep. Yesterday, Gaspari transferred the dung to the gates of the RA president Serzh Sargsyan's house and was taken into police custody for a couple of hours.
Gaspari started a hunger strike today at noon across the street from Sargsyan's house, at the intersection of Proshyan and Demirchyan streets, protesting against "the violation of his right to freedom of expression."
The activist explained his motives for the strike on his personal Facebook page: “Citizens act openly, publicly, taking responsibility for their actions. The criminal world acts covertly, avoiding responsibility.
“Time and time again, after voicing my protests against the ruling authorities and serzh sargsyan [sic], "unknown people" bring and dump manure outside my apartment in the night. Causing additional inconvenience to my neighbors, authorities are trying to silence my protest.
“Thus, ruling authorities are also punishing my family, my minor son because of my support towards the mothers of [soldiers killed in the Armenian army] and other victims of injustice…
“To protest the gross violation of my (and others') right to expression, I will start a hunger strike today at noon in front of serzh sargsyan's [sic] house, at the Proshyan-Demirchyan crossroad…
“To add, I will continue my protest with the following slogans: 'serzhik – killer, serzhik – criminal, serzhik – rascal…' [sic]
“It is my right as a citizen to voice my public assessment of a state official; and state officials, as well as their subordinates, National Security Service, party members, or others, have no right to use thug violence against me or others,” Gaspari wrote.