ZHIRAYR SEFILYAN ASKS POLITICAL ASYLUM IN NAGORNY KARABAKH

arminfo
2008-05-22 15:12:00

ArmInfo. Zhirayr Sefilyan, Commander of Shushi battalion and Head of
the public and patriotic organization "For Protection of Liberated
Territories", who is in prison for illegal keeping of weapons,
asked political asylum and citizenship from president of NKR Bako
Sahakyan. Sefilyan is citizen of Lebanon.

Zhirayr Sefilyan’s statement received by ArmInfo says that Sefilyan
made a similar appeal to Bako Sahakyan yet in 2007. He was informed
that his appeal would be studied after adoption of the Law on
Citizenship of NKR. ‘I confirm by desire to get citizenship of
NKR and I am ready to make another appeal in conformity with the
law after relevant law on citizenship of NKR is passed’, Sefilyan
says in his appeal. He also mentions that his term of imprisonment
expires on June 9. ‘I was imprisoned for keeping weapon awarded by NKR
leadership. The verdict says that NKR leadership awarded the weapon
with violation of some procedure and that I had no right to keep it’,
Sefilyan says. Zhirayr Sefilyan expresses concern about being exiled
as soon as he is released. ‘I rule out the possibility of leaving the
Motherland. That is why I ask political asylum from NKR. I hope that
at least NKR will not reject me’, Sefilyan says.