TOROS SEFILIAN "WE SHOULDN’T CONTINUE OUR ACTIVITIES"
By Gohar Gevorgian
AZG Armenian Daily
09/06/2007
Act of Protest Supporting Zhirayr Sefilian and Liberated Territories
"Mitq" Analytical Center, "Alliance" public-political initiative,
members of Internet sites and forums, "Liberated Territories’
Protection" public initiative and some other organizations carried
held an action of protest from Teryan Street to the buildings of RA
Foreign Ministry and RA Government. The members of intelligentsia,
freedom fighters, participants of the organizations were protesting
against the recent statements made by the OSCE Minsk group Co-Chairs,
according to whom the seven liberated regions should be returned
to Azerbaijan. The participants of the rally were greatly irritated
by the fact that our authorities do not respond the abovementioned
statements. They believe that this factor may cause a decision that
the people will not accept.
The rally members marched to the OSCE Office in Yerevan and handed
a memorandum for the OSCE Minsk Group. "The document in the agenda
of the negotiations, as far as we can judge from the statements of
the co-chairs, isn’t in the interests and the rights of the Armenian
people, the actual reality. In fact the negotiations are being held
in quite a wrong path. And the results of such negotiations can never
become a reality and can never be approved by the Armenian people. The
liberated territories are a part of our motherland," Armen Aghayan,
political secretary of "Liberated Territories’ Protection" initiative,
said.
"The society is unaware of what’s happening, everyone knows that
something is going to happen, but they know not what is to come. The
strangers tell us what is going to happen, while our own authorities
do not respond their statements. If they are not going to respond,
we are already concerned," Aghavni Sahakian, freedom fighter, member
of ""Liberated Territories’ Protection" initiative, said. She added
that if they try to return the liberated territories, everybody
will be ready to fight. Mrs. Sahakian said that "Dashnaktsutiun"
party should have been among the leaders of this rally, as a party
that constantly dwells on the protection of the liberated territories.
She pointed out with regret that the party remains indifferent even
after the arrest of Sefilian.
"If the hero of the Artsakh liberation war, the knight of battle cross
is arrested, it means that something is wrong in our country, at least
from my viewpoint. I joined this rally to express this position. We
have overcome all these 14-15 hard years, all these injustices, all
this robbery, as the society was hoping that in this very issue the
interests of the state and the people would match. Though we have a
society of zombies, but the healthy seed remains and we can’t miss
this opportunity. If the power belongs to the people, we should
take advantage of our constitutional right," film director Tigran
Khzmalian said.
Writer Hrachia Matevosian added that the fact that hero Zhirayr
Sefilian, commander of the Shoushi battalion, is arrested is a big
crime. He said that the future in Armenia belongs to those who are
like Zhirayr.
Toros Sefilian, brother of Zhirayr Sefilian, who is on visit in Armenia
for a fortnight, said in the interview that Zhirayr Sefilian is feeling
good, while his case is sent to RA Prosecutor’s Office. Toros Sefilian
stated that they will continue their deed notwithstanding the fact
whether their brother is arrested or not.
The rally members also handed memorandum to RA Foreign Ministry and to
RA Government. They demand that Zhirayr Sefilain and Vardan Malkhasian
are released and the criminal suit instituted against them isn’t sent
to the court in the memorandum addressed to RA Prime Minister Serge
Sargsian. They also demand that Sefilian isn’t deported from Armenia
and is granted Armenian citizenship.