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The first Human Rights Defender of Armenia, head of Against Legal Abuse NGO Larisa Alaverdyan said at a press conference today that she is opposed to hunger strikes staged by citizens for political reasons and even to hunger strikes by prison inmates. She made that statement while commenting on a hunger strike started by a group of civil activists in Yerevan’s Liberty Square.

Ms Alaverdyan said she opposes that phenomenon out of principle, adding that the method of hunger strikes does not work in Armenia, - moreover, people do not take it seriously.

On July 6 civic activist David Sanasaryan announced his intention to go on a hunger strike in Liberty Square. He said his action is directed towards Armenian citizens, rather than the country’s authorities. “I am inviting everyone here and I will end my hunger strike when Armenian citizens gather in the Square and we all go together to Bagramyan Avenue,” the activist said noting that everyone should promise to return to the avenue which was unblocked by police that day.

As reported, on the afternoon of July 6 the Armenian police removed the barricades of trash containers that demonstrators had placed across Bagramyan Avenue in late June in protest against a hike in electricity tariffs. The traffic on Bagramyan Avenue resumed. Dozens were detained but set free shortly afterwards.

David Sanasaryan worked as an aide to Larisa Alaverdyan when she was a deputy of Armenian parliament.