Rallies calling for the return of Armenian detainees and the protection of the rights of Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh are planned in Yerevan and Gyumri alongside the European Political Community and Armenia–EU summit events, according to Pastinfo.”
Public figure Saida Poghosyan said a gathering is scheduled for May 4 near the Karen Demirchyan statue at the Sports and Concert Complex, focusing on support for Armenian detainees and the right of return for displaced Artsakh Armenians.
According to her, relatives of missing persons and detainees, citizens demanding exhumation of relatives, many displaced people from Nagorno-Karabakh, representatives of NGOs, and members of various political parties are expected to participate.
Poghosyan noted that the initiative “For the Sake of People’s Values” has developed an agenda for the summit days on May 4 and 5, supported by numerous organizations. She added that letters prepared on behalf of the initiative are intended to be delivered to leaders of the European Union.
“We are planning several actions, but there is a major issue: the agenda of the Armenia–EU summit has not been made available, even to journalists. This is a significant problem, but we still plan multiple actions to raise unresolved rights issues, including an event in Gyumri. We needed to know for sure whether Emmanuel Macron would visit Gyumri,” Poghosyan said.
According to reports, courts in Baku have handed down lengthy sentences to several Armenian figures. Ruben Vardanyan was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Former Nagorno-Karabakh president Arayik Harutyunyan received a life sentence, as did former defense officials Levon Mnatsakanyan and Davit Manukyan, along with former foreign minister Davit Babayan and parliament speaker Davit Ishkhanyan.
Former presidents Arkadi Ghukasyan and Bako Sahakyan were sentenced to 20 years. Others, including Madat Babayan and Melikset Pashayan, received 19-year terms, while Garik Martirosyan was sentenced to 18 years. Davit Alaverdyan and Levon Balayan were sentenced to 16 years, and Erik Ghazaryan, Gurgen Stepanyan, and Vasily Beglaryan to 15 years in prison.
