YEREVAN. – Demonstrators Harutyun Harutyunyan and Hayk Parikyan, who on Tuesday had started a hunger strike for an indefinite period at Baghramyan Avenue—in Armenia’s capital city of Yerevan—, have ended their hunger strike a short while ago and they were taken to hospital.

Activist Davit Sanasaryan, who is a coordinator of the sit-in at the avenue—and against the recent decision to raise the price of electricity in the country—told the aforesaid to Armenian News-NEWS.am.

“Had they not stopped [their hunger strike], they could have had serious problems,” noted Sanasaryan.

Harutyunyan and Parikyan were spending the night at the abovementioned boulevard.

On June 22, numerous people—led by the “No to Plunder” initiative—staged a protest at Baghramyan Avenue, and demanded the revoking of the decision to raise the price of electricity in the country. In the morning of June 23, however, the police forcibly dispersed this sit-in. Since the evening of the same day, however, the demonstrators have resumed the sit-in at the avenue.

Despite numerous protests, the Public Services Regulatory Commission recently increased the price of electricity in Armenia by 6.93 drams—instead of 17 drams, proposed by the Electric Networks of Armenia (ENA) Company—, per cubic meter, and this decision will take effect on August 1. But the decision is expected to be followed by an increase in the prices of numerous products and services in the country.

President Sargsyan, however, stated that the government will cover this price hike until an audit is conducted at the ENA, which supplies electricity to the country’s residents. Sargsyan also said he does not rule out returning the company to the Armenian government and transferring it to competitive management, if the audit shows that the aforesaid increase in electricity prices is unjustified.