"IN DEFENCE OF ZHIRAYR SEFILIAN AND VARDAN MALKHASIAN" COMMITTEE CREATED IN JAVAKHK
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Dec 25 2006
AKHALKALAK, DECEMBER 25, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The first
sitting of the committee formed by the "In Defence of Zhirayr Sefilian
and Vardan Malkhasian" public initiative took place in Akhalkalak
on December 21. After getting acquainted with the steps being taken
for protecting Zh.Sefilian and V.Malkhasian, those present made a
statement in which anxiety of the Armenians of Javakhk is expressed
"on the occasion of arrest of Zhirayr Sefilian, a devoted participant
of the Armenian people’s liberating struggle and his ally Vardan
Malkhasian." As the Javakhk-Info agency informs, the committee calls
on the RA authorities "to review the punishments creating impression
of disproportionate and political evident persecution fostered towards
Zhirayr Sefilian and Vardan Malkhasian." As it is mentioned in the
statement, "demonstrative and legally groundless arrest of heroes of
the freedom frighting expressing opposing political views with martial
truthfulness and public spreading of absurd political slanders of the
RA NSS in the style of Stalin dictatorship harm international rating of
Armenia and the confidence of Javakh and world-spread Armenians towards
the Armenian state." "In this sense the characterization "a citizen of
Lebanon" given to Zhirayr Sefilian in the RA NSS official information,
and particularly, in a number of publications of the "Hayots Ashkharh"
(Armenian World) "specialized on" discrediting national figures of
Javakhk cause special indignation. Because of political improvidence,
immoral usage of the circumstance of "being a foreign citizen" of
Zhirayr Sefilian, many times addressed for getting RA citizenship,
is blameworthy and inadmissible for limiting his activity devoted to
the Fatherland," the statement authors mention.
"In Defence of Zhirayr Sefilian and Vardan Malkhasian" committee
addresses to the RA authorities "with a stable demand to set free
the arrested national figures from places of imprisonment and to move
examination of criminal actions brought against them to exclusively
the legal sphere." The Committee also strictly condemns "National
Unity" party head Artashes Geghamian’s "dissentient posture in the
direction of failure of Zhirayr Sefilian’s and Vahagn Chakhalian’s
protection, and expresses confidence that the latter’s activity will
deserve unanimous condemnation of the Armenian society."