Starting from September 21, the daily newspapers “Aravot”, “Hraparak”, “Zhamanak”, “Zhoghovurd”, “Chorrord Ishkhanutiun”, “Haykakan Zhamanak”, as well as “168 Hours”, issued three times a week, are posting on their first or second pages a slogan – “We recognize Tigran Arakelian a political prisoner and demand his immediate release”. According to Aravot.am, the campaign is carried out in agreement with the Armenian National Congress party. Tigran Arakelian is an activist representing the party.
It should be noted that Tigran Arakelian was arrested in connection to the incident with police that happened in Yerevan on August 9, 2011 and was charged with using violence against authorities. On July 20, 2012 the Court of General Jurisdiction of Kentron and Nork-Marash Administrative Districts of Yerevan sentenced him to six years in prison. The defendant appealed to the RA Criminal Court of Appeals, which dismissed the complaint. The RA Court of Cassation partially granted the complaint and returned the case to the Court of Appeals for new consideration. The trial at the Criminal Court of Appeals started on August 5, 2013 and is still ongoing. During all this time, Tigran Arakelian is in custody; the court rejects the repeated motions of his lawyer to change the preventive measure.
