Armenian opposition claims political nature of arrests of members of "Founding Parliament"

The arrests of members of the "Founding Parliament" represent political persecution. This was stated by Paruir Airikyan, the leader of the association "National Self-Determination", at the press conference held on April 8. Ovik Abramyan, the Prime Minister of Armenia, has claimed that there are no political prisoners in the country.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that about 200 members of the "Founding Parliament" held in Yerevan a protest action demanding to stop persecuting the activists.

According to Paruir Airikyan, the authorities use such actions in attempts to prevent any possible mass initiatives related to the rally of April 24.

The Paruir Airikyan's opinion was supported by Zaruhi Postandjyan, a member of the National Assembly of Armenia from the faction "Heritage". According to her, the arrests of Sefilyan and his supporters are political persecution for dissent.

In his turn, Gagik Melikyan, the Secretary of the ruling Republican Party faction, sees nothing illegal in the arrests of Zhirair Sefilyan and his supporters.

Vardan Akopyan, a member of the "Founding Parliament", doubts that the law enforcement bodies will be able to find a legal basis file a charge against the arrested members of the opposition movement.

According to the Investigating Committee of Armenia, during the searches carried out in the houses of the activists of the "Founding Parliament" arrested on April 7 and in the office of the opposition movement, the law enforcers found weapons, including a grenade, batons, and knives.

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