Loyalists Of Arrested Oppositionist Demand His Immediate Release

LOYALISTS OF ARRESTED OPPOSITIONIST DEMAND HIS IMMEDIATE RELEASE
By Ruzanna Stepanian

Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
June 5 2007

Members of the committee in defense of Alexander Arzumanian, an
oppositionist arrested on money laundering charges last month, held
a demonstration of protest near the government building on Tuesday
demanding his immediate release.

They also demanded to see Prime Minster Serzh Sarkisian to hand him
a petition addressed to Armenia’s authorities.

Former Vice-Speaker of Parliament Karapet Rubinian, who is among the
committee members, told RFE/RL that the petition calls Arzumanian,
who served as a foreign minister under the former administration,
a political prisoner who "was arrested for his political activities."

A government staff representative who came out to meet the protestors
said in the coming days the prime minister could receive only
Arzumanian’s American wife, Melisa Brown.

The letter with a demand for Arzumanian’s release was handed over to
the government’s representative.

Arzumanian has been kept at the jail of Armenia’s National Security
Service (NSS) since May 7 on charges of illegally receiving a large
amount of money from Levon Markos, a fugitive Russian businessman
of Armenian descent. His arrest came two days after NSS officers of
searched his Yerevan apartment and confiscated $55,4000 kept there.

Late last month Armenia’s Court of Appeals refused to release
Arzumanian from jail pending investigation, thus upholding a lower
court’s decision to allow the NSS to keep the outspoken opposition
politician under two-month arrest.