 evening in memory of vigen babayan saturday march 5 2011 1221 united states on march 5 2011 policy forum armenia held an evening honoring the memory of a prominent sovietera dissident a member of the 7 patriots vigen babayan the event s featured guests were azat gasparyan renown actor and narrator evening s moderator paruyr hayrikyan prominent sovietera dissident and the leader of the national selfdetermination union aim and shahen harutyunyan a founder of the sovietera underground united national party amk jailed in early1960s for underground activities aimed at proclaiming independent armenia and recognizing the genocide the 7 patriots as the group became known in armenia following their trial and imprisonment laid the foundations for independence and prodemocracy movement in armenia and elsewhere in the ussr years spent in siberian gulags and countless kgb interrogations could not break vigen babayan s iron will and lessen his commitment to what he stood for the volumes of poetry that he left behind are live testaments of his sufferings but also of limitless love for his motherland and freedom to the young generation of armenians who fought for country s independence and for the freedom of artsakh vigen babayan is known as the voice behind the voice of america armenian service reporting during the late1980s and early1990s celebrating the legacy of vigen babayan and others who put their lives on the line for free and independent armenia at times when there seemed no hope on the horizon is of particular importance now given the events unfolding in armenia this epic story is as much about the past as it is about today and tomorrow said a member of the community who attended the event the event was held at the cosmos club   and was cosponsored by members of the washington s armenian community additional pictures from the event are available in  photo gallery   