"GROUP FOR DEFENCE OF FOUR" CREATED
Noyan Tapan
Mat 10 2007
YEREVAN, MAY 10, NOYAN TAPAN. The newly creared "Group for Defence
of Four" aims to protect the rights of former Armenian foreign
minister Alexander Arzumanian, coordinator of the social initiative
"For Defence of Liberates Territories" Zhirayr Sefilian, his comrade
Vardan Malkhasian, and editor of the newspaper "Zhamanak Yerevan"
Arman Babajanian, as well as to oppose any persecution of political
dissidence and to eliminate causes of such actions. It is noted
in the statement issued by the group that in the period of active
social-political development, the Armenian authorities once again
are trying to intimidate and silence the political dissidence by KGB
methods – eavesdropping, arrests with the use of force.
According to the authors of the statement, this is a logical
continuation of home political situation in recent years. "Alexander
Arzumanian – the political motives for his arrest are obvious – as
well as the other above mentioned prisoners are subjected to criminal
prosecution for their social and political activities and ideas," the
group’s statement reads. Human rights supporters Avetik Ishkhanian,
Gayane Markosian, Amalia Kostanian, Vardan Harutyunian, Artur Sakunts
and Edik Baghdasarian put their signatures to this statement.