THEY DEMANDED FREEDOM

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[07:26 pm] 22 December, 2006

Hundreds of people gathered near the President’s residence today and
demanded to set free coordinator of the initiative "Protection of
Liberated Lands" Zhirayr Sefilyan and member of the party "Fatherhood
and Honor" Vardan Malkhasyan. They were arrested on December 10 and
sentenced to two months’ imprisonment.

Representatives of the "Union of Armenian Volunteers", "Fatherhood
and Homeland", "New Times party" and several NGOs, carrying posters
saying "NO to unpunished violence" and "Give citizenship to Zhirayr
Sefilyan", walked from Mergelyan park along Baghramyan avenue towards
the building of the National Security Service.

The National Security Service did not receive the participants of the
protest action. "We in fact did not even apply to be received", said
Armen Yeghyan, member of the committee supporting Zhirayr Sefilyan and
Vardan Malkhasyan. According to him, the number of the participants
of the protest action would have been greater if it hadn’t been for
the bad weather. Precisely because of it the march did not continue
to the Republic Square, as previously announced.

According to Armen Yeghyan, they are waiting for the trial of Sefilyan
in the Court of Cassation next week.