Epress.am News from Armenia
A dozen of Armenian human rights organizations issued a joint statement Tuesday addressing the “obviously unlawful arrest” of local civic activist Vardges Gaspari.
“Gaspari is well known to the society as an active, bold man with firm political beliefs, who persistently and consistently raises various important human rights issues in Armenia. Moreover, he shows no selectivity in the choice of his protest addressees and criticizes representatives of both the political elite and the opposition,” the statement says, calling the activist's arrest a “political order.”
State agencies, namely the police, the authors continue, fight Gaspari's unique and relentless position with targeted unlawfulness, such as persecution, violence, torture, and degrading treatment, trying to suppress his freedom of speech and his constitutional right to freedom of expression.
“Vardges Gaspari's non-violent protest actions can in no way be punished with incarceration, and it's obvious that the the activist is being subjected to political persecution for his views and beliefs.”
The signatories demand that authorities immediately release Vardges Gaspari and stop his persecution.
Transparency International Anti-corruption Centre
Helsinki Citizens' Assembly – Vanadzor
Journalists' Club "Asparez"
Helsinki Committee of Armenia
Open Society Foundations – Armenia
Journalists for Human Rights
Hope NGO
Peace Dialogue NGO
Public Information and Need of Knowledge (PINK Armenia)
Youth for Human Rights NGO
Helsinki Citizens' Assembly Armenian Centre
Army in Reality Public Initiative