Announcement: Shahen Harutyunyan is the first minor facing political persecution in the Republic of Armenia
18:06, April 4, 2014 | Announcements, Own | Children's rights, Prohibition of Discrimination, Right to Fair Trial, Right to liberty and security | Political Prisoners
April 2, 2014
On April 2, 2014, the General Investigation Department of the RA Police charged Shant Harutyunyan’s son, Shahen Harutyunyan with disorderly conduct committed with the use of arms, under Article 258 (4) of the RA Criminal Code.
Thus, the Police as well as the Special Investigatory Service and the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Republic of Armenia have failed so far to investigate the evidence of violence by the police chief, Vladimir Gasparyan against Shant Harutyunyan and his son at the police station on November 5, 2013. Instead, the victims of violence faced charges.
Two days before, Shant Harutyunyan who had already remained in illegal detention for 6 months was charged under the Article above.
We describe the filing of charges to minor Shahen Harutunyan as:
- A regular act of pressure on Shant Harutunyan;
- Political persecution against a minor citizen.
We strongly condemn the biased behavior by the RA law enforcement agencies and the expressly unfounded accusation against Shahen Harutyunyan.
We therefore demand to immediately stop the public punitive actions, end political persecution against Shant Harutyunyan and his friends and drop illegal charges of minor Shahen Harutunyan.