Zhirayr Sefilyan, whose biography is described in this article, is an Armenian military. He is an ex-commander of the Shusha Special Forces Battalion. Well-known politician, lieutenant colonel, knight of the order "Combat Cross of the first degree." Member of the Karabakh war. One of the leaders of the Constituent Parliament.
Childhood
Zhirayr Sefilyan was born on July 10, 1967, in Lebanon, in Beirut. In addition to him, the family had three more children - two boys and a girl. Zhiraira’s father died when he was 11 years old. The head of the family did not live to see the independence of Armenia. When the civil war broke out in Lebanon, Giraira was only 8 years old. Their house was in close proximity to the trenches. In 1990, when Giraire left for Armenia, the war was still ongoing.
Education
He began to receive his first education in the family. Then he went to an Armenian school. He became a member of a party club. Then he studied at the Armenian college “Gevork Chatalbashyan”. He graduated in 1986.
Youth
For the first time, Zhirayr Sefilyan took up arms at the age of 8. There was a civil war in Lebanon at that time. Active firefight began at 5-6 in the morning. Zhirair, along with other children, collected shell casings, which they then handed over for re-melting. With the money received for this, the guys bought new cartridges. They carried them to the fighters, asking in return for permission to make a couple of independent rifle shots.
The first combat pistol Zhirair bought at age 16. Before Armenia, he always carried it with him. During the war, people quickly grow up. Sefilian was no exception. Already at the age of 15, he began to think about the continuity of generations, national tasks, etc. From childhood, he was brought up in the spirit of justice. During his youth, he underwent military training "in practice."
Military activity
In 1990, Zhirayr left for Armenia as a military instructor. He trained volunteer units. In 1991, he first began to participate in the war in Nagorno-Karabakh. A year later, he led the detachment, which operated on the most important front-line sections.
Post-war time
After the war ended, Zhirayr Sefilyan left for Lebanon for two years. When he returned to Armenia, he was appointed to serve in the Defense Army. He held senior positions. He was demobilized with the rank of commander of the sixth defensive area.
Political activity
Zhirayr Sefilyan, whose photo is in this article, began his political activity in Armenia in 2000. He joined the opposition group of the country. He was the coordinator of several social movements. In 2006, he was arrested along with his associate. They were accused of calls to change the constitutional order by force.
Zhirair was sentenced to one and a half years for illegal possession of weapons. In 2008, Sefilyan was released and immediately continued his political career in Armenia. In April 2015, Giraire with several leaders of the "Constituent Parliament" was again arrested. The group was accused of preparing for the riots. Giraire and associates were not released from custody until May 2015.
Last years
He is one of the leaders of A Century Without a Regime and the Constituent Parliament. Zhirayr Sefilyan, a military leader, continued his political career. He actively opposed constitutional changes in the Republic of Armenia. In December 2015, a referendum was to be held. Before him, Zhirair, together with Raffi Hovhannisyan, announced the creation of the opposition group “New Armenia”.
More than 60 percent of voters voted in a referendum to amend the current constitution. But “New Armenia” did not agree with their opinion, and in December 2015, a rally was held on Freedom Square.
In June 2015, Sefilyan was again arrested. According to the investigation, the politician planned, together with his accomplices, an armed seizure of the Yerevan TV tower and a number of administrative buildings. The investigative committee had evidence that Zhirair was in contact with citizens who were involved in the transportation and storage of weapons and ammunition. And they were ready to apply them on the first order.
An attempt to free Sefilian
In July 2016, representatives of the Constituent Parliament attempted to free Sefilyan. Armed groups of people seized a police building on the outskirts of Yerevan. According to the demands of the raiders, Zhirayr Sefilyan was to be released from custody.
As a result of the armed seizure of the building, one staff member was killed. It turned out to be Arthur Vanoyan, a police colonel who dared to resist the raiders. On July 20, clashes between police and opposition demonstrators took place at a seized police building.
As a result, 136 people were arrested by law enforcement agencies. Many protesters received injuries of varying severity and were taken to the nearest city hospitals. Among the victims were also police and journalists.
The responsibility for the seizure of the police building was officially assumed by the Constituent Parliament. The attackers, who held the hostages, continued Sefilian’s case on the overthrow of the current government. Giraire was not released according to the demands of the invaders.