ArmInfo.Artsakh war hero Zhirayr Sefilyan, who is in custody on charges of illegal keeping, use and sale of weapons and ammunition, has made an open address from Armavir penitentiary on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Armenian Armed Forces.
In particular, he says that the army and the servicemen are hostages of the ruling regime. He also recalls the heroic pages of the Armenian army and its victory over the "artificial formation - Azerbaijan".
"Instead of consolidating the Armenian army's victory, the ruling regime preferred to turn the state into Russia's colony. That is why the world has recognized the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. No steps were taken to liberate Nakhijevan and the entire territory of Atrsakh. The liberated territories were called "a security zone". At the same time, the process of establishment of a nation-state and a nation-army stopped. Under the current conditions, Armenia has become Russia's colony and the Armenian army has turned into an annex to the Russian army.
Sefilyan also stresses that the army has become a structure defending the security and the interests of the ruling regime and helping it to retain grip on power during the elections. "The ruling regime headed by Serzh Sargsyan has turned into enemy number one of the Armenian nation. It is the incompetent policy of the authorities that contributes to constant maintenance of tension on the borders of Armenia and Artsakh and led to the April 2016 war. This policy will result in total destruction of Armenian statehood and people," the address says.
Sefilyan doubts possible implementation of the army-nation concept under the current regime, which led its own people to poverty and undermined the statehood and which conducts a defeatist policy and turns the state into a colony. He also urges the servicemen to quit the role of supporters of the ongoing anti-national policy.
According to Sefilyan, the fight of the Sasna Tsrer (Daredevils of Sassoon) group and the public support have demonstrated that people are ready for a revolt. "People are waiting for servicemen's decisive steps to that end," he says, stressing that at such a crucial moment the army "cannot restrict its activity to defending the country from the external enemy; it must also defend the people from the internal enemy," Sefilyan says.