YEREVAN. – Numerous people on Thursday assembled outside the intensive care unit department at “Armenia” Medical Center, in Armenia’s capital city of Yerevan, where Artur Sargsyan, a.k.a. the Food Provider, died several hours ago.   

Opposition MP Nikol Pashinyan, actress Tamara Hovhannisyan, numerous activists, and Sargsyan’s relatives also are among those present, the Armenian News-NEWS.am reporter informed from the hospital.

Artur Sargsyan, who was charged with aiding the Sasna Tsrer armed group, was released from prison on December 31, 2016, since he had an illness that was incompatible with imprisonment. 

On February 9, however, he was arrested yet again.

Subsequently, Sargsyan went on hunger strike, and demanded that his preventive measure of arrest be commuted.

A few days ago, and with a written guarantee by several dozen MPs, he was released from prison and immediately taken to hospital.

Several days ago, however, he left the hospital on his own volition.

But his health grew worse on Wednesday evening. He was taken to “Armenia” Medical Center, where he underwent surgery, but he did not regain consciousness after this operation.

The Sasna Tsrer armed group had taken over a police patrol regiment building in Yerevan, taken hostages, but later surrendered, in July 2016. 

On July 26, Artur Sargsyan had broken through a police wall with a vehicle loaded with food, and delivered food to the members of this armed group.