Parents of dead soldiers stage protest in Yerevan

© Photo: Maria Novoselova / Vestnik Kavkaza

The arrest of Gayane Hakobyan, accused of attempting to kidnap the son of the Prime Minister of Armenia, led to a spontaneous protest in Yerevan today. The citizens sympathizing with Hakobyan, who lost their children in the hostilities on the territory of Azerbaijan, participated in procession from the courthouse to Republic Square.

The scandal over Gayane Hakobyan's attempt to kidnap Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s son resulted today in a spontaneous protest in Yerevan organized by citizens who, like Hakobyan, lost their children in the Karabakh war and in post-war clashes.

The protesters expressed their disagreement with the court decision to arrest Gayane Hakobyan. They blocked Arshakunyats Avenue, but dozens of police officers stopped them at the courthouse.

Since the parents of the dead soldiers and officers were not allowed to express their civil feelings at the court, they organized a procession to the Republic Square. The rally is tense, the police officers arrest the most active protesters.

According to Sputnik-Armenia, the protesters emphasize that their rally is absolutely peaceful in nature. Spontaneous leaders ask the protesters not to engage with law enforcement and not to succumb to provocateurs’ actions.

Meanwhile, Gayane Hakobyan has already been transferred to a pre-trial detention center for women. Lawyers said that they were already preparing to appeal against the arrest, and the woman herself, as a sign of non-recognition of the charges imputed to her, went on a hunger strike.