Epress.am News from Armenia
Today, April 8, about a hundred members and supporters of the “Founding Parliament” civil initiative held a protest in front of the Erebuni Detention Facility in Yerevan demanding the release of the six leaders of the initiative arrested on Tuesday, April 7.
“Heritage” faction MP Zaruhi Postanjyan, who attended the protest action, entered the detention facility and met with the arrested oppositionists. “Founding Parliament” coordinator Jirayr Sefilian and the other five men, as Postanjyan later told the people gathered in front of the building, had some health complaints, but said that they had not been subjected to violence. The MP also stated that the initiative's plans on April 24 remained unchanged.
“The regime is afraid. Obviously, only a fearful person resorts to extreme steps. I demand that all of the arrested men are set free immediately,” Postanjyan said.
According to the MP, there were no basis for the arrest, apart from the fact that the “Founding Parliament” members and the ruling authorities have different political views.
“Where were the officers of the National Security Service or the Special Investigative Committee when Valery Permyakov fled the 102nd [Russian] military base armed? Why did they allow the massacre to happen? A number of legal norms have been violated in the investigation of the Avetisyan family murder. They should go and arrest Valery Permyakov right this moment if they are so mighty,” the MP said.
War veteran Jirayr Sefilian's brother, Toros Sefilian, who was also among those detained on Tuesday morning to be released hours later, told reporters that they were mainly asked by the investigative body about the citizen army organized by “Founding Parliament.”
“I explained what the citizen army and its purpose was. There are young girls and women in that army. Don't assume, like the Police did, they are armed only because it's called an army,” Toros Sefilian said.
According to him, the Police have confiscated all the computers from their home, as well as the water flask and the dagger used by Jirayr Sefilian during the Artsakh Liberation War. “Those items were confiscated in 2008, too, so we are used to it,” Toros Sefilian said.
In an interview with Epress.am, film director Tigran Khzmalyan compared the arrest of the “Founding Parliament” leaders with that of opposition activist, political prisoner Shant Harutyunyan and his friends.
“Once again the authorities are preparing for Putin's visit (Russian President Vladimir Putin's possible visit to Armenia on the Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day, April 24 – Epress.am). Just like the metal covers of sewer manholes that are welded by the authorities on the streets where Putin is set to pass, [the oppositionists] pose yet another problem that needs to be dealt with,” Khzmalyan said.
Video in Armenian only.