Zhirayr Sefilyan to remain in custody (video)
Zhirayr Sefilyan, leader of a radical opposition group seeking regime change in Armenia, will remain in custody. The Criminal Court of Appeal today upheld the decision of a Yerevan court to send the leader of the hardline opposition group called the Founding Parliament into two-month preliminary custody. The court is now studying the appeal requesting the change the restraint of Aram Hakobyan, coordinator of the group’s Gyumri office, who was released on bail of AMD 500,000. Senior members of Founding Parliament - Zhirayr Sefilyan, Pavel Manukyan, Garegik Chukaszyan, Varuzhan Avetisyan and Gevorg Safaryan -were arrested on April 7 on suspicion of planning to stir up ‘mass disturbances’ at the sites of genocide centenary commemorations on April 24. The Investigative Committee accused the FP members of urging supporters to disobey and even attack security forces on April 24. All were taken into two-month custody pending trial. Another Founding Parliament activist was charged with keeping arms and ammunition, but was released on bail pending trial.
