On 20 July 2012, the court of general jurisdiction of Kentron and Nork-Marash districts of Yerevan in violation of the law sentenced Armenian National Congress (HAK) youth activists Tigran Arakelyan (6 years), Artak Karapetyan (3 years), David Kiramijyan and Sargis Gevorgyan (each 2 years) in prison in accordance with Article 316 (resistance to the representative of the authorities through violence or threat of violence) and Article 258 (hooliganism) of the RA Criminal Code.

The investigation into the case, launched on August 9, 2011, and during which imprisonment was applied as a measure of restraint for Tigran Arakelyan, was held in several violations of the law, including
-the charge against the youth was based on the testimonies of police officers engaged in the case as victims and eyewitnesses,
-several eyewitnesses could have provided reliable and objective testimonies but they weren't called to interrogations during preinvestigation,
-the HAK activists were deprived of the right to attorney at the moment of apprehension and arrest as suspects,
-the protocols regarding the apprehension and the arrest as suspects were prepared in the absence of lawyers,
-lawyer Vahe Hovsepyan had presented a report to RA Prosecutor General on impeding to carry out professional duties and for applying force against him but the instigation of a criminal case based on that report was denied,
-several people who witnessed the incident have been interrogated as eyewitnesses through a mediation presented by the defendant during the preliminary investigation, but those people weren't included in the list for calling people to the trial,
-during the preliminary investigation, there was pressure on the eyewitnesses who had been transferred to the Kentron police division to give testimonies as eyewitnesses. In addition to all this, what is troubling is the fact that the court has announced verdicts that don't even envisage imprisonment for other heavier cases.
Thus, we view the verdict itself and the sanctions as application of discriminatory justice.
Such a verdict against the youth opposition members show once again that the violence and political persecutions following the 2008 presidential elections not only continue, but gained new quality and new manifestations at the threshold of the upcoming presidential elections. On the one hand, we can view this as an attempt to create an atmosphere of fear among the society at the threshold of the upcoming presidential elections, and on the other hand, it can be viewed as an instruction to act by the repressive juridical-contractual system which is the main administrative resource.

We the undersigned representatives of human rights advocacy organizations strictly condemn such verdict having nothing to do with justice and demand that the Armenian authorities
-terminate the criminal persecution against Tigran Arakelyan, Artak Karapetyan, David Kiramijyan and Sargis Gevorgyan,
-put an end to the political persecutions, pressure and violence,
-reject the defective practice of discriminatory procedures and intentional change of justice.

We call on international human rights advocacy organizations to focus their attention on this case and not spare any efforts to put an end to the persecutions against the youth activists and release Tigran Arakelyan as soon as possible.
Youth for Democracy, President Isabella Sargsyan
Helsinki Citizens' Assembly Armenian Committee, President Natalya Martirosyan
Center for Rights and Freedom, President Vardan Harutyunyan
"Asbarez" Journalists' Club, President Levon Barseghyan
Collaboration for Democracy, President Stepan Danielyan
Helsinki Citizens Assembly Vanadzor Office, President Artur Sakunts
Transparency International Anti-Corruption Center, Executive director Varuzhan Hoktanyan