10:29, 16 April 2004

Rights defenders, students protest against state terror in Armenia

Human rights organizations, NGOs, and students held a meeting in the center of Yerevan on April 15. They protested against the violence and terror on the part of the authorities that have been taking place for the last few days.

The organizers announced they pursued no political goals as they showed their civil protest against the policy of "a baton and a boot". Speakers called on the people not to keep silence in the face of the state terror that have been employed in recent days. Then people made their way to the parliament building, to the place where special operations units dispersed an opposition meeting on the night of April 12-13. "The defense minister stated yesterday that Bagramian Avenue was not a dance place. We will go and show that this is our city and we can dance where we want," one of the organizers said.

At the parliament building, meeting participants handed a petition for the release of all political prisoners over to the deputies.

Source: Rosbalt News Agency