{"id":243448,"date":"2013-11-13T08:09:55","date_gmt":"2013-11-13T04:09:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.epress.am\/?p=243448"},"modified":"2013-11-13T08:10:28","modified_gmt":"2013-11-13T04:10:28","slug":"shant-harutyunyan-wont-appeal-court-decision-to-imprison-him","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/epress.am\/en\/2013\/11\/13\/shant-harutyunyan-wont-appeal-court-decision-to-imprison-him.html","title":{"rendered":"Shant Harutyunyan Won’t Appeal Court Decision to Imprison Him"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tDetained during clashes with riot police in Yerevan<\/span><\/a><\/strong> on Nov. 5, Shant Harutyunyan will not be appealing the two-month pre-trial detention the court handed down last week. Harutyunyan conveyed this news himself to Artur Sakunts, the head of the Helsinki Citizens' Assembly Vanadzor office and member of a group that monitors prisons in Armenia, reports RFE\/RL's Armenian service (Azatutyun<\/strong><\/span><\/a>). Harutyunyan is charged under RA Criminal Code Article 316 Section 2 ("violence against a representative of the authorities").<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tSpeaking to Sakunts, Harutyunyan explained that it is not legal but political actions that are being carried out against him and his imprisonment is the result of a political decision; therefore, appealing the court decision to detain him is pointless.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t"Harutyunyan, based on the logic of his political activities, is preparing to present everything in court," said Sakunts. \n<\/p>\n

\n\tAccording to Sakunts, Harutyunyan says that his being held behind bars was intentional: for him to be imprisoned until Russian President Vladimir Putin's planned visit in December — in order to suppress any political activism. <\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tSakunts witnessed the traces of violence on Harutyunyan's hands. Recall, Harutyunyan had told<\/span><\/a><\/strong> opposition MP Nikol Pashinyan last week that RA Police Chief Vladimir Gasparyan had personally used force against him. <\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tSakunts said that after his meeting yesterday, it is obvious to him that the police chief hit Harutyunyan. A few members of the police chief's entourage did the same thing, and, according to the human rights activist, criminal proceedings against Vladimir Gasparyan should be launched.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tDetails in the Azatutyun video below.<\/em>\n<\/p>\n

\n\t