22:18, 23 April 2004

Opposition activists persecuted in Armenia

Opposition activists who participated in the demonstration in the center of Yerevan on April 21 suffer political persecution, Viktor Dallakian, a leader of the Armenian opposition and secretary of the opposition parliamentary faction Justice, told a press conference on Friday, April 23.

"The terror against participants in opposition rallies is being executed in Armenia today by Robert Kocharian's order," he said. "The Armenian president has declared war against his own people," he added.

According to Mr Dallakian, 22 people have been sentenced to administrative arrest from 21 to 23 April, criminal procedures under the article "hooliganism" have been instituted against another 13 people, 25 opposition activists have been fined.

Source: Interfax News Agency