ArmInfo. Members of Founding Parliament opposition movement Zhirayr Sefilyan and Varuzhan Avetisyan urge Karo Yeghnukyan, an arrested member of the movement, to stop hunger strike.
"A hunger strike is the emergency method of fight for a political prisoner, but a human life does not matter for the anti-Armenian and inhumane regime in Armenia. At the same time, thanks to hunger strike, infringement of your rights and the rights of the other political prisoners sparked public outcry, Consequently, we urge him to stop at this achievement and save oneself for further fight," they say in a statement.
Earlier, Yeghnukyan's daughter Elmon posted on Facebook that her father has serious health problems, suffers from low blood pressure and cannot move on his own after 13 days of hunger strike and 9kg weight loss. He warns that further hunger strike is dangerous of Yeghnukyan's life. The activist's lawyer Tigran Hayrapetyan visited him and urged to stop hunger strike. Earlier, Defense offered $1 million bail for him, but the court rejected.
To note, Yeghnukyan spread a statement on August 19 from the isolation ward of National Security Service in which he considers that the criminal case initiated against him is framed up. He was detained on July 20 after his flat was searched. On July 22 National Security Service filed a charge under Article 218 Part 3 (assistance to hostage taking) and Article 219 Part 3 (assistance to seizure of buildings). Earlier Yeghnukyan was stating that despite his membership in Founding Parliament he knew nothing about seizure of Police Patrol Service Regiment. Refering to Yeghnukyan's posts in Facebook and his tapped phone calls, the law-enforcement says he disseminated misinformation allegedly about military hardware moving towards the police compound seized by Sasna Tsrer group or alleged poisoning of the group members with the food transferred by the Police. Besides, the Police say Yeghnukyan led the protesters to Khorenatsi Street and tried to ensure radio communication of the armed group members with their families. Yeghnukyan with his wife and five children moved to Armenia in 2009 from U.S. They are all U.S. citizens.