YEREVAN. – Jailed activist Shant Harutyunyan began a hunger strike on Friday.

Head of Public Relations at the Penitentiary Department of Armenia, Gor Ghlechyan, informed about the aforesaid to Armenian News-NEWS.am.

He noted that before starting the hunger strike, however, Harutyunyan had written a petition to the allocation committee, with a request for being transferred to a solitary prison cell to serve the rest of his sentence.

Ghlechyan noted that the committee will consider Harutyunyan’s petition and make a decision.

The head of Public Relations at the Penitentiary Department added that the convict is in normal health condition.

The United National Initiative leader and activist Shant Harutyunyan, who had announced about starting a revolution, in November 2013—and with close to one hundred supporters wearing Guy Fawkes “Anonymous masks”—had started a march toward the Presidential Palace, but the police had stopped the march. As a result, there was a scuffle and explosions, and the police detained 38 activists. As a result of the melee, sixteen people, including eight police officers, were injured. Subsequently, criminal charges were laid against thirteen people, including Harutyunyan and his 15-year-old son.

In October 2014, the Court of General Jurisdiction of Kentron and Nork-Marash Administrative Districts had found guilty—and primarily on charges of hooliganism—the thirteen defendants in the aforementioned case, and handed down prison sentences ranging between one and seven years. Shant Harutyunyan was sentenced to six years in prison. His 15-year-old son, Shahen—who is a minor—on the other hand, was sentenced to four years, but this prison sentence was suspended. In February 2015, the Criminal Court of Appeal upheld the aforesaid court judgment. And the Court of Cassation did not consider the appeal.