Participants of the 6th Edition of the Black Sea NGO Forum, assembled on 4-6 September 2013 in Bucharest, Romania, jointly endorsed the following statement on the recent aggression on civil society activists in Armenia:
The Statement of the Participants of Black Sea NGO Forum
On September 5th, 2013 at approximately 22:10-22:20 p.m. in the center of Yerevan two Armenian civic activists Haykak Arshamyan and Suren Saghatelyan were attacked and brutally beaten by a group of unknown people. Both activists were injured and moved to hospital. Both activists took active part in recent protests against Armenian President’s decision to join the Eurasian Customs Union. It is also worth mentioning that Haykak Arshamyan works at Yerevan Press Club and Suren Saghatelyan works at Transparency International Armenia Anti-corruption Center, both organizations are active members of Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum. This was already the 10th case of attacking civic activist in recent month.
We express our deepest concern about the attacks on civic activists aimed at frightening active citizen to express its protests against the decisions of the authorities. We urge the Armenian authorities to undertake all the necessary steps to investigate and call to the responsibility the perpetrators of these horrendous acts. In case of partial and non-transparent investigation, the responsibility will lie with the Armenian authorities.
06.09.2013, Bucharest, Romania
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