Monday, March 19 2018 19:17

ArmInfo. The organization "Armenian Revival", uniting the representatives of the Armenian diaspora in many countries of the world, made a statement in connection with the trial of Zhirayr Sefilyan.

The statement notes that Sefilyan is subject to political reprisals because of his opposition activities, and the accusations are based on false testimony. "At the trials there is not a single material evidence that could link Sefilyan to the charge, on the contrary, other persons involved in the case and the accused indicate pressure on them from the investigative structures to give false testimony about Sefilyan. The accusations of 11 years of imprisonment - a slap in the face of both justice and Armenian statehood. This trial is another vivid proof of the fact that there is no justice in Armenia, and anyone can end up behind bars if so wished Serzh Sargsyan, even if that person is a national hero, which is Zhirayr Sefilyan", the statement reads. The "Armenian Revival" expressed the conviction that this trial harms Armenia's relations with the Diaspora and declared its lack of confidence in the whole RA judicial system. "We condemn the illegality of the regime and the injustice of Sefilyan and other political prisoners, and demand that all of them be released. We call on the healthy forces in Armenia and the Diaspora to join our demand," the organization said. Earlier, it became known that the judge in the case of illegal acquisition, storage and distribution of weapons, charged against hero of the Artsakh war Zhirayr Sefilyan, Tatevik Grigoryan refused to give the floor to the accused to represent his defensive speech. Grigoryan motivated this by Sefilyan`s disrespect towards trial. His defensive speech was read by his lawyer Araik Papikyan. In his defensive speech, Sefilyan, in particular, qualified the trial as a farce, an attempt of reprisal, a theatrical performance. He also reported on the constant pressure on him by law enforcers. Sefilyan stressed that political persecution is taking place against him and that all those who persecuted him and all those who ordered this, will appear one day before the "Armenian Nuremberg" for state treason, corruption and usurpation of power.