The Armenian government has initiated a signature collection campaign in the country's provinces to demand the resignation of Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II, the newspaper Iravunk reported. According to the newspaper, the initiator was ruling party MP Karen Sarukhanyan, who received the support of fellow party members and the approval of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.
Crimean Tatar activist Memet Belyalov, sentenced to 18 years, was transferred to IK-9 in Petrozavodsk (Karelia) and immediately placed in a strict regime barracks (SUS).
The man's relatives report that they have no contact with him and are unable to receive letters from him. Belyalov was previously transferred from a colony in the Novgorod region. There, he was sent to a punishment cell many times, including for not having time to change into a long-sleeved shirt before the colony staff arrived.
Memet Belyalov was convicted on charges of participating in the Islamic party Hizb ut-Tahrir, which is recognized as terrorist in the Russian Federation. Human rights activists noted that members of Hizb ut-Tahrir have not been known to prepare attacks or terrorist acts, and persecution in Russia is based solely on the fact that members of the group held meetings and read religious literature.