The former Human Rights Defenders of Armenia and Artsakh, Larisa Alaverdyan and Ruben Melikyan, have added their names to a petition, signed by 130 lawyers and human rights activists addressed to Armenian President Armen Sarkissian, that opposes a referendum to amend the country’s constitution.

Stating that the February 6 vote by Armenia’s National Assembly to hold a referendum “is in clear violation of the RoA Constitution and constitutional legislation”, the petition signers call on Sarkissian not to participated in the referendum.

Armenia’s National Assembly, by a vote of 88 to 15, passed a bill  on February 6 approving a national referendum to amend the country’s constitution.

The referendum seeks to modify Article 213 of the constitution and thus allow for the early termination of Constitutional Court Chairman Hrayr Tovmasyan and other court members.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has led a drive calling for the early retirement of Tovmasyan and other court members seen as supporters of the ousted regime of Serzh Sargsyan.

Pashinyan has called on Tovmasyan and his court colleagues to voluntarily retire before the referendum takes place.