Yerevan Prisoner Ends Two-Week Hunger Strike

A prisoner at the Nubarashen jail in Yerevan, Narek Sargsyan, ended a two-week hunger strike on November 11 after members of the Founding Parliament opposition movement sent him a letter advising Sargsyan against fruitlessly ruining his health, lawyer Arayik Papikyan told Epress.am today. 

“I visited Narek yesterday and passed him a letter from Jirayr Sefilyan, Varuzhan Avetisyan, Arayik Khandoyan and Areg Kyureghyan. In the letter, urged Sargsyan to end the hunger strike, insisting that this method of protest is ineffective when it comes to the current regime in Armenia,” Papikyan said.

The 24-year-old native of Armenia's Gekharkunik province started the hunger strike at the end of October in protest of his continued “unlawful” detention. Sargsyan was arrested on July 20, during a protest action in support of Sasna Tsrer (Daredevils of Sasun), the Founding Parliament-affiliated armed group that seized a Yerevan police station on July 17. He is being accused of taking part in mass disorders and committing violence against a police officer; if convicted, the 24-year-old could be sentenced to up to 8 years behind bars.