More Freedom Fighters Return Their Medals (Video)

MORE FREEDOM FIGHTERS RETURN THEIR MEDALS (VIDEO)

16:57 | March 20,2015 | Politics

Two more Karabak war veterans today returned their medals and awards as
a sign of protest against the January 31 violence in Berdzor, Karabakh.

Freedom fighters Aghavni Sahakyan and Varujan Avetisyan are today
handed over 12 medals [they received for the bravery demonstrated
during the Karabakh war] to Zhirayr Sefilyan, a Karabakh war veteran
and a former commander of the Shushi special detachment.

“I do not think that the acting authorities deserve to act in the
name of Armenia and its people. I think the awards had better remain
with legendary commander Zhirayr Sefilyan,” said Varujan Avetisyan,
Spokesman for the Founding Parliament Movement.

Freedom fighter Aghavni Sahakyan is offended that they [authorities]
could raise a hand on the man who liberated the Nagorno-Karabakh
Republic.

“By returning our medals we are expressing our protest and anger at
the incident. I cannot take a stick and damage their cars as they
did on January 31,” she said.

On January 31, scores of activists representing the Founding Parliament
opposition movement, a successor of the Pre-parliament pressure group,
organized an automobile march to Nagorno-Karabakh as part of their
campaign seeking a regime change in Armenia. Near Berdzor, they were
stopped by local police and a group of plainclothes men who forcefully
blocked their access to the territory of Karabakh.

A number of activists, including Jirayr Sefilyan, a Karabakh war
veteran and a former commander of the Shushi special detachment, were
beaten up during the incident. Also, some vehicles of the automobile
march were damaged.

From: A. Papazian