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Yerevan court upholds pretrial arrest of opposition activist Jirayr Sefilyan (video)

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Jirayr Sefilyan has been placed under two months’ pre-trial detention. This became known after Judge Simizar Hovsepyan after returning from the consultation room. Lawyer motions to release Sefilyan on bail 20.00 Jirayr Sefilyan’s lawyer, Ara Zakaryan, came out of the court some time ago to inform the journalists waiting in the courtyard what was going on in the courtroom. Zakaryan said in part that during the hearing the investigator announced that ‘Sefilyan poses a threat to society,’ but he failed to produce any evidence proving his claim. The lawyer said they had filed a motion to remand Sefilyan on bail, offering his two apartments and money in the amount of AMD 10 mln. The judge has retired to the consultation room to discuss the motion. Anyway, the lawyer is sure that the judge will uphold the petition of the Investigative Committee to issue pre-trial detention for Jirayr Sefilyan, as ‘judges in Armenia do not make a fair decision.’ The women detained by the police from the courtyard have been identified as Syuzan Simonyan and Anush Karapetyan, both members of Armenian Women’s Front. Women detained from the courtyard 19:00 Several minutes ago, over 20 police officers, including ‘red berets,’ approached the people who were staging a protest outside the Court of General Jurisdiction of Yerevan’s Arabkir and Kanaker-Zeytun administrative districts in support of Jirayr Sefilyan. A1+’s journalist reports from the ground that the policemen forcibly detained several women without providing any explanation. The women had not done anything illegal, they were just standing and waiting for the police car that had brought Jirayr Sefilyan to the court. There was a scuffle between the police and some demonstrators. The red berets have left the area, with some 15-20 policemen still standing a few steps away from the group. The court is expected to uphold or reject the petition of the Investigative Committee to issue pre-trial detention for Jirayr Sefilyan. Journalists have been waiting in the courtyard for the decision for 4 hours now. Sefilyan brought to court: He pleads not guilty to indictment 17:33 Ara Zakaryan, the lawyer of Karabakh war veteran Jirayr Sefilyan, says he has filed a motion to recuse Judge Simizar Hovsepyan. The lawyer says the judge is not well aware of the criminal law and the precedents of the Cassation Court. Zakaryan thinks the judge does not have enough knowledge to deal with the case. At the same time, the lawyer said that Jirayr Sefilyan pleaded not guilty and said the case was ‘a political order.’ “There are a number of reasons to believe that the arrest was politically motivated. Sefilyan is particularly known for his political views and his recent statements about the loss of some territories in the April war make us believe that that the authorities have decided to settle accounts with his,” Ara Zakaryan said. At the same time, the lawmaker said the Investigative Committee could not have any evidence that might prove Sefilyan’s ‘guilt.’ “The investigative body is disseminating such information in order to discredit the reputation of Sefilyan,” he said. 16:42 Some time ago, opposition activist and Karabakh War veteran Jirayr Sefilyan was taken to the Court of General Jurisdiction of Yerevan’s Arabkir and Kanaker-Zeytun administrative districts. A group of citizens and members of the New Armenia Public Salvation Front have gathered outside the court building. They are vociferating, “Jirayr, Jirayr!” Jirayr Sefilyan’s lawyer Ara Zakaryan said the sitting would be held behind closed doors and promised to provide more details later in the day. Today, Jirayr Sefilyan has been officially charged with Article 235.2 of Armenia’s Criminal Code: illegal procurement, transportation or carrying of weapons, ammunition, explosives or explosive devices. In a statement released on June 22, Armenia’s Investigative Committee (IC) said that adequate evidence had been collected proving that Sefilyan had organized the procurement of arms and armament by a group of individuals and that the items had been stored in various locations. Sefilyan kept in touch with the group members and instructed them to keep the aforesaid arms and armament or transport them upon his order.