Protesters in Yerevan call for political prisoners' release

A crowd of protesters has gathered outside Armenia Mariott Hotel to meet PACE Commissioner for Human Rights Thomas Hammerberg.

The event has been organized by Committee for the Protection of Political Prisoners and Persecuted People with an aim to call the European official's attention to the problem of political prisoners in Armenia.

Policemen have gathered on the scene to control the protesters whose number is gradually increasing.

Present at the meeting is a Belgian citizen who is an active member of a pan-national movement. Coordinator of the opposition Armenian National Congress (ANC) Levon Zurabyan and President of the Armenian Pan-National Movement's political board Aram Manukyan have also joined the crowd.

Speaking to journalists, Zurabyan said the public has become more actively interested in the problem as people grew to realize that the authorities in Armenia will not release political prisoners without pressures.