Detained member of the Strong Armenia party, reconnaissance officer Artur Avanesyan, known as Kandaz, has declared a hunger strike, party member Gohar Meloyan said, according to Aysor.am .

According to her, Avanesyan began the hunger strike as a form of protest.

“The hunger strike is a sign of protest against the unlawful legal process carried out against him and the injustices taking place toward Avanesyan and his teammates,” Meloyan said.

Artur Avanesyan was detained on April 27. The spokesperson for the Anti-Corruption Committee, Marina Ohanjanyan, had stated that he was detained within the framework of a criminal investigation related to an election bribery case. Later, the committee released an audio recording in which a voice believed to be Avanesyan’s was allegedly heard.