ALEXANDER ARZUMANYAN IS PERSECUTED

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[08:08 pm] 10 September, 2007

"Once I was a political prisoner while now I am persecuted. Only
the restraint has been replaced," said Armenian Ex-Foreign Minister
Alexander Arzumanyan, the initiator of the Civil Disobedience Movement.

To remind, Arzumanyan was released from the isolation ward of the
National Security Service on September 6.

The preventive punishment was his signature not to leave
Armenia. Arzumanyan was charged with "money laundering."

Alexander Arzumanyan was set free four months after his arrest when
the report on the investigation of his case was submitted to Aghvan
Hovsepyan.

The Armenian ex-foreign minister says both his arrest and release are
manifestations of arbitrariness in Armenia. "There was no case. There
were no criminal charges. I must restore my reputation. They pinned
labels on me. The prosecutor states to the country that there was a
crime, the National Security Service only needs to prove that Sashik
Aghazaryan’s money is illegal. In other words, they only need to do
what is needed to consider and suspect someone of money laundering. In
other words, it shows that they took me to the isolation ward four
months ago for nothing, and put up a case," Alexander Arzumanyan says.

Alexander Arzumanyan says he will have everyone apologize to him. "I
expect the apology of everyone who was involved in this case, who
instructed and who fulfilled the instructions. Let them tell me who
was involved in my illegal arrest and apologize to me," Alexander
Arzumanyan says.

Arzumanyan thinks both his arrest and release are the problem of the
people who gave instructions. He does not know yet why he was arrested
and what they feared.

"If they arrested on a put-up charge, they were afraid of something. If
I am a political figure who scares some people, I am proud of it,"
Alexander Arzumanyan says. According to him, his arrest might be a
signal for other political figures to behave themselves otherwise
they will be punished like me.

Alexander Arzumanyan thanked reporters for support. He believes
reporters do the real work, while the politicians do not. Alexander
Arzumanyan also said he was treated well at the isolation ward. "People
know what is going on in our country. I am respected not only in
the street, in the neighborhood, but also in prison, the ex-foreign
minister stated.

Arzumanyan is not going to leave politics. He is not certain yet
whether the Civil Disobedience will participate at the presidential
elections as a separate organization, or whether it will ally with
its proponents.

In reply to the question whether his arrest was determined by the
upcoming presidential elections, Arzumanyan said, "Everything in this
country is connected with the presidential elections, even everyday
shopping."

Being a liberal sphere representative and an ordinary Armenian
Pan-National Movement (HHSh) member Alexander Arzumanyan is happy to
see Levon Ter-Petrosyan back in politics.