French journalist on hunger strike at Armenian airport over entry ban for almost a week

The French journalist of Armenian descent, Leo Nikolyan, has been in the neutral zone of the Zvartnots airport of Armenia for almost a week, where he declared a hunger strike, Report informs via news.am.

"Today is the sixth day, I haven't even drunk water for three days. They don't tell me why they don't let me into Armenia. They don't present any grounds, facts. I'm sure that this is a political decision. I lived in Voskepar (Ashaghi Askipara - ed.) for about a month and a half. I made some footages. It seems that they didn't like it," said the journalist, who was diagnosed with lung cancer.

According to him, he came to Armenia after the words of the lawyer.

"He said: You must come quickly, there will be a court, you will be summoned. The fact is that two years ago I was attacked in Armenia. I came to Armenia at the request of the court in this case. And I came with a French businessman who wants to invest here, and also with a French MP. They let them in, but rejected my entry. And now I'm continuing my struggle, they don't have the right to send me back, I'm in the neutral zone," said Nikolyan.

He noted that representatives of the cabinet visit him every day and offer tickets so that he returns.

"I'm not going to leave. If I have to die, I'll die here. I decided a long time ago that my funeral should be in Armenia," the journalist said.