Artur Avanesyan, a member of the Strong Armenia party detained on election bribery charges, yesterday declared he was launching a hunger strike.

"Hunger strike against the elimination of injustice and political persecution in Armenia, for the sake of human rights, for the sake of our dignity. We live in such days that our heroes, who struck fear and terror in the enemy, are today in an Armenian prison, forced to go on a hunger strike," party member Arega Hovsepyan said in a Facebook video.

Avanesyan, detained for two months, heads the security team of businessman Samvel Karapetyan’s Strong Armenia Alliance.

The alliance is regarded as a top challenger to Pashinyan’s Civil Contract party in the June parliamentary election.

Avanesyan served as a commander of a special forces unit in the Artsakh army.