The trial of Hayk Kyureghyan, who has been detained for over a year for discharging an air pistol in the direction of the police on July 12, 2014, is scheduled to begin on September 11 at Yerevan’s Kentron and Nork-Marash Administrative Court.

Kyureghyan is charged with hooliganism and using force against a representative of the state (RA Criminal Code Articles 258 and 316) in an incident that occurred on July 12 of last year during a trial of Shant Haroutyunyan and friends.

The state prosecutor has called for Kyureghyan to be sentenced to 14 years behind bars.

(Shant Haroutyunyan and tens of other activists were detained in November 2013 before the start of a march in Yerevan entitled “The Revolution of Values”.)

On that day, Kyureghyan climbed atop a car and shot an air pistol off several times in the direction of the police as a sign of protest over the way political trials are handled in Armenia.

A Facebookpage in support of Kyureghyan has been launched and members are planning to stage a protest at the court on September 11.

Shahen Haroutyunyan, son of imprisoned Shant Haroutyunyan, told Hetq that the case against Hyureghyan was clearly political harassment.

“In any normal country, what Hayk did, whether you agree it was a criminal act or not, would not warrant a 14 year sentence,” Haroutyunyan said.