"DISAPPEARED" LAWYER APPEARED

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[04:43 pm] 03 July, 2007

Inhabitants of some districts in Yerevan gathered in front of the RA
President’s residence and demanded to return their lawyer, head of the
"Community and Right" NGO Samvel Lazarian. The dwellers of Kozern
community ensured that some employees from the National Security
Service (NSS) inquired information about Samvel Lazarian and his
activities in Kozern. No one was able to find Samvel Lazarian and
that made the dwellers to suppose that their lawyer was detained by
the National Security Service.

Samvel Mkrchyan is protecting the rights of the dwellers who are
deprived of property rights. "Samvel told me a month ago that
authorities did not approve of his activities and initiated some
activities against him. Then Samvel told that he had a tape where
definite names were mentioned and in case of necessity it would be
released", told Anahit Hovhannisyan from Kozern.

A Yura from Kozern district told that the NSS asked him who helped
them and how much they paid for it. "I told them that Lazarian did
it unselfishly. They said that he did everything to collect votes
during the elections. I ensure that no one has offered money to him",
said Yura. Samvel Lazarian was nominated during the parliamentary
elections in the majority system in number 12 precinct. Aida Sargsyan,
head of letter department of Robert Kocharyan met the demonstrators
and promised to search Samvel Lazarian.

While the demonstrators were continuing the action with "Samvel
Lazarian equal to democracy", "We will not allow new political
prisoners" slogans, suddenly Samvel Lazarian appeared. The
demonstrators were delighted to see him. The latter informed that he
was resting with his family and had turned off his mobile phone. He
mentioned that about 20 days ago employees in the Yerevan Municipality
told him: "Go, go the NSS will take up your problem".

He was coming from the Government, where he was protecting the
interests of the citizens. He heard about the action from a citizen
on Buzand Street. "The problem is not that vital at the moment,
however it may become so", announced Samvel Lazarian. "We should
control so that no one from the NSS broke in into the houses to find
out something about me". The NSS persecutes him and his NGO trying to
hamper his activities to protect the property rights of the citizens.

"We understand that someone has ordered this, we’ll try to find out who
that person is. 20-25 citizens were forced to announce that they have
given money to Samvel Lazarian. I declare that I have not accepted
a penny from anyone", stated Samvel Lazarian.