Arman Babajanian: Imprisoned For His Political Activity - By Sarkis Chakarian

The 32 year old chief editor and founder of Zhamanak – Yerevan daily Armenian newspaper, Arman Babajanian was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison in the year of 2006 for something he did not do.

Zhamanak – Yerevan, based in Los Angeles, CA, is an Armenian newspaper that is actively involved in pro-opposition movement against today’s unjustly elected President Serj Sarkisian.

Arman Babajanian would not have been prosecuted if his newspaper had been loyal to the Armenian government as well as Serj Sarkisian, and had not been part of the opposition. However, he was sentenced to serve jail time and until now is serving his time in penitentiary in Republic of Armenia. He was and is a major supporter of the opposition lead by 2008 presidential nominee and past President of Armenia, Levon Ter-Petrosian. Ter-Petrosian, in actual vote count and statistics, won the presidential elections of March 2008. Due to numerous fraudulent campaigns of tampering with the votes that was carried out under Serj Sarkisian leadership, Levon Ter-Petrosian did not win the presidential elections and Serj Sarkisian was elected and still is the President of Republic of Armenia. Arman Babajanian and his newspaper agency did and still are doing everything in their power to help Armenia prevail in Democracy and give back the freedoms that were taken away by today’s government of Armenia. His newspaper continually is condemning any vieolent acts that are carried out by Armenian authorities against the opposition supporters and journalists.

In his struggle for Democracy, his price is imprisonment, despite several petitions for Babajanian’s release in 2007 and 2008. These petitions failed. Numerous human rights groups, including HRW (Human Rights Watch), have attempted and urged the Armenian government to release Babajanian. Their attempts have also failed. In addition, there have been numerous protests by civil society activists demanding the Armenian authorities to free Arman Babajanian. These protests have again failed, one after another.

Babajanian’s imprisonment is an indirect prosecution by the Armenian government against him for his political activity as a journalist and founder of Zhamanak-Yerevan. He has never been imprisoned before in his life and had he known he would be prosecuted against and stripped of his human rights, he would have not gone back to Armenia after their Yerevan, Armenia branch started their business in the capital.

We urge the Armenian government and President to take actions in releasing this innocent man from prison and restore Armenia’s name as a Democratic government. We urge the Armenian people to stand up and fight for Babajanian because by doing so they will be fighting to preserve fairness and human freedoms.

Sarkis Chakarian – Editor in Chief, YerevanNights.com

Source Publication:
Source: www.yerevannights.com

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Name: M. Timiryan
Comment: He jepordizes the entire future of Armenia if he signs that. Too much of my family is in the Cacauses. How is Armenia supposed to get back it's land and for people to come back if Serj bends over for Turkey.

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