International Herald Tribune, France
Dec 29 2006
Man detained in connection with alleged coup plot probe in Armenia
The Associated PressPublished: December 29, 2006
YEREVAN, Armenia: Security officers in Armenia have detained a man in
connection with an alleged coup plot by opposition activists,
officials said Friday.
Vaan Aronian was arrested at his home in the village of Lusatar in
western Armenia, where security officers found weapons and ammunition
including guns, grenade launchers and a shoulder-fired missile
launcher, the National Security Service said in a statement.
It said the detention was linked to a probe that led to the arrest
earlier this month of Zhirair Sefilian, a Lebanese citizen who heads
the Association of Armenian Volunteers, and another activist of the
group, Vadan Malkhasian.
The two are accused of plotting a coup, making public demands for the
government’s ouster, and possessing illegal weapons – charges they
have denied. A court in mid-December ordered them to be held in jail
for two months as the investigation continues.
Members of the Association of Armenian Volunteers have said the
arrests were part of an attempt by the authorities to stifle dissent
in the run-up to parliamentary elections next year.
Sefilian is a veteran of the 1988-1994 war in the disputed enclave of
Nagorno-Karabakh, which ended when Armenia-backed separatists drove
out Azerbaijan’s government forces.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
