Statement and demand of the civil initiative ”Davit Sanasaryan”
On the 17th of July 2016 “Daredevil’s of Sassoun”, a group of political opponents, seized an important police department in Yerevan, claiming immediate release of their leader Jirayr Sefilian detained illegally since several weeks, the resignation of president and the release of all political prisoners in the country.
On the 18th of July an anti-crisis committee has been created, whose main purpose was to organize and lead peaceful demonstrations by serving as a mediator between government and rebels, to avoid violence and bloodshed.
While citizens were peaceful demonstrating, police used unequal forces by kidnapping peaceful protesters, organized mass arrests of hundreds of people, accompanied by beatings and other atrocities.
On the 30th of July, one of board members of this committee, Davit Sanasaryan, has been kidnapped by four civilians, presented themselves as police representing. Since that day Mr Sanasaryan is illegally detained by the police.
Mr Davit Sanasaryan has over 10 years of experience of political and social activities. He has always been an active member of community, but never in favour of violent actions and never appeals or did any statement of violence during his whole political carrier.
Since 2013 Mr Sanasaryan has been member of the City Council. Member of “Heritage” party since 2007, Mr Sanasaryan is the party’s spokesman.
Between 2008 and 2010 he was the leader of young wing of the party and represents the party in assembly of the European People’s Party between 2007 and 2012. As a political and legal advisor in Armenian Parliament, active political and social activist, he’s an initiator and member of more than 30 human rights, social, civic and public initiatives and NGO’s.
He was arrested while he was taking care of his father in hospital, who was injured by police attacks earlier during the day. Four persons in civilian, presenting themselves as policemen, tried to arrest him, without any warrant of arrest. Mr Sanasaryan refused to follow them, asking to come back with a warrant and clear explanation of the reason of that matter. Instead of that, he was attacked by this four, beaten and lost conscious. His mother, presented on site, tried to save Davit form this rapt, but these four continued to follow Mr Sanasaryan even after the intervention of medical staff, who brought Mr Sanasaryan to intensive care unit.
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The medical staff was accompanied by those four and few minutes later we have been informed that Mr Sanasaryan was not taken to the intensive care unit, but to National Security Service, where completely false and unfounded charges of inciting riots have been raised against him. According to the article, based on which he is charged, Mr Sanasaryan risks from 2-4 years to 4-10 years of prison. The article is ridiculous and false, having for purpose just to keep Mr Sanasaryan in jail, isolate him from society and neutralize his activities. Moreover, since his detention, his family is refused to pass food, clothing and book. He has bodily injuries and abrasions, which shows that he was subject to physical torture and persecution, but he has no medical care provided.
The civil initiative “Davit Sanasaryan” considers this arrest illegal and strongly demands the immediate release of Mr Sanasaryan.
The civil initiative “Davit Sanasaryan” reports that it’s currently calling to various diplomatic and international organizations, as well as international media, to join and support the demand of Mr Sanasaryan’s immediate release.
“Davit Sanasarian” Civil Initiative
July 31, 2016, Yerevan, Armenia