As a matter of fact, the case against Artsakh war hero, one of the leaders of the New Armenia Public Salvation Front Zhirayr Sefilyan is only an act of political persecution, Chairman of the Helsinki Committee of Armenia, human rights activist Avetik Ishkhanyan said at a press conference on June 22.
He thinks that Zhirayr Sefilyan's arrest is nothing but an attempt of the authorities to make themselves safe and to conceal the real situation from the people. He said that the Sefilyan case cannot be considered from the legal viewpoint. Ishkhanyan does not rule out the connection between Sefilyan's arrest and the trilateral meeting of the Armenian, Azerbaijani and Russian presidents in St. Petersburg either. So, the expert thinks, the authorities are trying to liquidate the opponents in case of possible concessions in the Karabakh peace process.
On June 20, 2016, Zhirayr Sefilyan was detained on suspicion of organizing a criminal group. 8 persons face charges of acquisition and keeping of weapons and ammunition. 6 have been arrested and 1 is wanted. According to the Special Investigative Service of Armenia, Sefilyan and his supporters were planning to seize buildings of state importance in early April. Earlier, New Armenia activist Karo Yeghnukyan said that Sefilyan was detained at Sardarapat. To note, Sefilyan himself says that his detention is another link in the chain of political persecution against him.