ARMS DISCOVERED IN LUSARAT IS ONLY CAUSE FOR CONTINUING ZHIRAYR SEFILIAN'S PERSECUTIONS, MEMBERS OF CONSOLIDATION OF ARMENIAN VOLUNTEERS ARE CONVINCED

Noyan Tapan
Jan 11 2007

YEREVAN, JANUARY 11, NOYAN TAPAN. Vahan Aroyan arrested on December 28 2006 in the village of Lusarat is not connected at all with the Consolidation of Armenian Volunteers public initiative and has never taken part in the organization's meetings. Armen Aghayan, temporary coordinator of the Consolidation of Armenian Volunteers, made such statement at the January 11 press conference.

In his words, employees of the National Security were well-aware that "Vano is a great lover of arms and he accumulated the arms and ammunitions found on December 28 in the years of war." In A.Aghayan's words, the whole village, as well as law enforcement bodies knew about arms kept at V.Aroyan. "National Security Service officials knew that Vano and Zhirayr Sefilian were friends and used this circumstance for confirming absurd accusations ascribed to Zhirayr by means of Vano's arms," A.Aghayan said.

He also emphasized that though Aroyan, his arms and his being acquainted with Z.Sefilian were used by the Security Service against Sefilian, the Consolidation of Armenian Volunteers almost excludes that Aroyan is a Security Service agent and deliberately contributes to prolonging Sefilian's arrest. "Vano's arms mean nothing and are only a cause for continuing the persecutions," A.Aghayan concluded.