In Vanadzor, activists start to collect signatures in support of Zhirair Sefilyan

On June 23, in Vanadzor, supporters of Zhirair Sefilyan, the leader of the movement "100 years without regime", a member of the Front of National Salvation "New Armenia", held an action in his support. They have called the activist's arrest as unfounded and started collecting signatures in support of the oppositionist, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on June 20, it became known about the arrest of Zhirair Sefilyan on suspicion of illegal transportation and storage of weapons. Armenian oppositionists and human rights defenders, interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot", associate the arrest of Zhirair Sefilyan with his criticism of the Armenian authorities on the issue of settlement of the Karabakh conflict.

On June 23, the activists marched through the streets of the city and informed citizens about the arrest of the activist. This was told to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent by Kerob Sarukhanyan, a local resident, a veteran of the Karabakh war.

According to Kerob Sarukhanyan, the case against Zhirair Sefilyan is fabricated and is of political nature.

The action in Vanadzor was aimed to inform people of the situation with Zhirair Sefilyan, Kerob Sarukhanyan notes. "Let the people decide by themselves what to do to keep silence or to stand up for the rule of law," he has said.

The activists have completed their action in Hayk Square where they told the people the biography of Zhirair Sefilyan and his fighting way. They then went to Artsakh Park, where they began collecting signatures in support of the activist.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.