Hayakve protests in support of its leader Avetik Chalabyan

ArmInfo. The Hayakve" national civic initiative held a protest demonstration in Yerevan's  Martiros Saryan Park in support of its imprisoned leader, Avetik  Chalabyan. 

Gathering at the park, participants denounced Chalabyan's detention  as politically motivated, arguing that it serves as a political tool  for the authorities and highlights a severe crisis in human rights.  Protesters noted that despite the occasion of Youth Day, the nation's  future remains under threat as freedom of thought and speech face  severe state constraints.

Addressing the participants, Hayakve Council member Armen Manvelyan  stated that the demonstration was dedicated to Chalabyan and all  other political prisoners, lamenting that living with political  prisoners has unfortunately become normalized in the current era. He  emphasized that Chalabyan has faced ongoing persecution for his  political views and critical statements since 2022. "If we truely  want to build a democratic state, such phenomena must be condemned by  society, and the public must not remain indifferent," Manvelyan said.

Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) member and public figure Arman Abovyan  also joined the protest to voice support for Chalabyan and other  political detainees. He addressed the legal proceedings surrounding  jailed PAP leader Gagik Tsarukyan, criticizing the government's  approach.

"The ongoing processes against Gagik Tsarukyan defy logic," Abovyan  stated. "The criminal cases brought against him are so absurd,  fabricated, and baseless that the authorities themselves realize it  and are scrambling to find new charges just to keep him detained as  long as possible." He added that virtually all top managers of  enterprises within the Multi Group concern are currently behind bars.

Larisa Alaverdyan, Armenia's first Human Rights Defender, also spoke  at the rally, asserting that the prime minister is waging a campaign  against national values. She argued that Armenia no longer possesses  a truly national parliament, characterizing the assembly instead as  merely state-run. "Today, Avetik Chalabyan is being persecuted solely  because he belongs to the national elite," Alaverdyan stated.

Recall, Chalabyan was initially remanded into custody for a two-month  period by the Yerevan Court of First Instance on June 24.