IN OPINION OF "HERITAGE", AUTHORITIES ARE FRIGHTENED OF POLITICAL
DISSIDENCE AND USE STALIN-STYLE METHODS

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 15, NOYAN TAPAN. The military service evasion charge,
on which Arman Babjanian – the editor-in-chief of the daily
"Zhamanak-Yerevan", journalist, an Armenian citizen who has returned
from the Diaspora to homeland – has been arrested, applies to thousands
of Armenian youths, who, while having the same status as A. Babajanian,
pay the respective sum and are relieved from the criminal charge of
military service evasion. According to official data, their number
makes over 2,000. Presenting this information, the National Assembly
"Zharangutyun" ("Heritage") faction states that "illegal keeping in
custody the citizens Zhirayr Sefilian, Vardan Malkhasian and Arman
Babajanian, who pose danger to the authorities – especially in the
pre-election period before an important internal political event at the
beginning of next year – the presidential elections – bears evidence of
the fact that the regime is continuing to use methods like Stalin-style
repressions in Armenia, thus violating human rights and freedoms in a
coordinated way".

According to the statement authors, "another proof of it is that the
"independent commission" declined to grant the petition on conditional
early release of A. Babajanian, even though the administration of the
penitentiary institution "Hospital of Convicts" characterized this
journalist as a person of excellent behavior, besides, he has paid the
compensation for damage to the state – one million drams".

"So we can state that the authorities are so frightened of political
dissidence and real democracy that by using blameworthy methods, they
are trying to silence and keep in custody the representatives of free
speech and freedom-fighters dedicated to the nation, perhaps in vain
anticipation of facilitating their seeming success in the presidential
election struggle," the statement of the NA "Hetitage" faction reads.