<p>For Immediate Release<br />September 13, 2016<br /> Contact:&nbsp;<a href="mailto:forum@pf-armenia.org">forum@pf-armenia.org</a><br /> Web:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pf-armenia.org/">http://www.pf-armenia.org</a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Statement in Connection with the Arrest and Detention of PFA Executive Board Member Garo Yegnukian</strong></p><p>We, the undersigned members of Academic and Executive Boards of Policy Forum Armenia (PFA), are gravely concerned that Mr. Yegnukian&mdash;a member of PFA&rsquo;s Executive Board, a repatriated Diaspora activist, intellectual, and father of five&mdash;continues to be held in pre-trial detention since July 19, 2016 despite the nature of charges brought against him and deteriorating health conditions.</p><p>As we learn from his attorney, Mr. Yegnukian is being accused by the investigative body for engaging in the following four activities:</p><p>1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; On July 18, 2016, after hearing from the members of the armed group &ldquo;Daredevils of Sassoon&rdquo; that the police were moving armored vehicles toward the occupied buildings, Mr. Yegnukian publicized that fact on Facebook;</p><p>2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; On July 19, 2016, he encouraged the movement of protesters from Liberty Square toward the area close to the police compound occupied by the &ldquo;Daredevils&rdquo;;</p><p>3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Mr. Yegnukian spread disinformation (suggesting that food provided to the &ldquo;Daredevils&rdquo; by the police might be poisoned), thus discrediting the police; and</p><p>4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; He <em>aspired</em> to provide radio communication from outside to the &ldquo;Daredevils&rdquo;.</p><p>It is our understanding that these activities can in no way be construed as criminal, including under the Armenian legal code. Such charges undermine the individual&rsquo;s right of free speech and reinforce the atmosphere of fear and intimidation in Armenia. Sadly, these trumped-up charges are merely an excuse for Armenia&rsquo;s law-enforcers to exercise the much abused right to pre-trial detention used extensively to stifle political dissent.</p><p>Having said this, <strong>we join the Armenian Bar Association&rsquo;s Armenian Rights Watch Committee</strong> in condemning the unlawful pre-trial detention of peaceful protesters in Yerevan, including that of Mr. Yegnukian. Our colleague&mdash;a well-known civil activist, who contributed so much to Armenia&rsquo;s independence since late-1980s&mdash;should be released from prison immediately pending trial, if one ever takes place considering the nature of the above charges.</p><p><strong>We call upon Armenia&rsquo;s bilateral and multilateral partners</strong> to impress upon the regime of Serge Sargsyan that systematic repressions of political activists and dissidents cannot be tolerated and that the empty rhetoric about &ldquo;political reform&rdquo; will no longer be acceptable.&nbsp;</p><p><strong>We stand with the people of Armenia</strong> as they continue their struggle for a more inclusive political system and better governance, against massive election fraud, systemic corruption, and oligarchy, factors that have prevented the economy from growing and weakened its defenses against external threats.</p><p><a href="https://www.pf-armenia.org/profile/gregory-aftandilian">Gregory Aftandilian</a>,&nbsp;Member of the Academic Board</p><p><a href="https://www.pf-armenia.org/profile/vladimir-airapetian">Vladimir Airapetian</a>, Member of the Academic Board</p><p><a href="https://www.pf-armenia.org/profile/viken-attarian">Viken Attarian</a>,&nbsp;Member of the Academic Board</p><p><a href="https://www.pf-armenia.org/profile/hrach-gregorian">Hrach Gregorian</a>,&nbsp;Member of the Academic Board</p><p><a href="https://www.pf-armenia.org/profile/annalee-saxenian">AnnaLee Saxenian</a>,&nbsp;Member of the Academic Board</p><p><a href="https://www.pf-armenia.org/person/david_grigorian">David Grigorian</a>,&nbsp;Member of the Executive Board, Co-founder</p><p><a href="https://www.pf-armenia.org/profile/lusine-jagharian">Lusine Jagharian</a>,&nbsp;Member of the Executive Board</p><p><a href="https://www.pf-armenia.org/profile/zaven-kalayjian">Zaven Kalayjian</a>,&nbsp;Member of the Executive Board</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Cc: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The United Stated Embassy in Armenia</p><p>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Human Rights Watch</p><p>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Freedom House</p><p>&nbsp;</p>