Human Rights Watch urges to set free oppositionist activist Andreas  Ghukasyan

ArmInfo.Human Rights Watch urges to release oppositionist activist Andreas Ghukasyan. 

The organization mentions that last week a court in Armenia ordered  Andreas Ghukasyan, a senior member of the opposition New Armenia  movement, to remain in detention for an additional two months pending  trial on criminal charges of "organizing mass disorder." During last  week's hearing, the prosecutor argued for continued detention, citing  the gravity of the charges. Yet publicly-available video footage of  July 29 shows Ghukasyan calling on demonstrators to remain calm and  not confront the police.  The court reviewed the video, but denied  Ghukasyan's lawyer's motion to allow journalists who witnessed the  protests and some protest participants to testify in Ghukasyan's  defense.

Human Rights Watch refers to the European Court's stand, which has  been very clear that pretrial detention should be a measure of last  resort, and that specific facts and personal circumstances relevant  to the accused are needed to justify pretrial detention.  Courts may  not rely on "general and abstract" reasons for detention.  Investigators contended that Ghukasyan would most likely abscond or  interfere with the investigation, but presented no evidence to  substantiate that claim. The prosecutor simply listed the reasons  established in Armenian law for denying bail. Nothing else.  The  organization considers that to show full respect for Armenia's human  rights commitments, investigators should revise their request for  pretrial detention for Ghukasyan, and release him pending a trial  founded on a credible investigation into the charges against him. 

To note, Andreas Ghukasyan was arrested and is accused of organizing  mass disorders in Yerevan in July 2016 after seizure of police  building by Sasna Tsrer armed group. He has been kept under arrest  for already 6 months. He has even announced hunger strike demanding a  fair trial. Other activists arrested with him under the same charge,  members of Heritage party Armen Martirosyan, Hovsep Khurshudyan and  David Sanasaryan have been released.