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Armenian Opposition Politicians Sent To Pretrial Detention


Andreas Ghukasian, the leader of the Rise Up, Armenia civic movement is among those who have been detained. (file photo)
Andreas Ghukasian, the leader of the Rise Up, Armenia civic movement is among those who have been detained. (file photo)

Three Armenian opposition politicians accused of organizing mass disturbances have been sent to pretrial detention.

On August 2, a court in Yerevan ordered David Sansarian and Hovsep Khurshudian of the Heritage opposition party, as well as Andreas Ghukasian -- leader of the civic movement Rise Up, Armenia -- to remain in detention for two months as investigations against them continue.

A group of armed men linked to the radical opposition movement Founding Parliament stormed and seized a police compound in Yerevan on July 17, demanding that President Serzh Sarkisian free the movement's jailed leader, Zhirayr Sefilian, and step down.

Thousands of the gunmen's supporters joined nightly rallies for two weeks, occasionally clashing with police.

The gunmen surrendered to police on July 31.

The violence claimed the lives of two police officers.

Based on reporting by Kavkaz-uzel.eu and Interfax

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