Do prosecutors follow advocates?
Defendant Grigor Voskerchyan got a warning for demonstrating contempt of court during today's trial of the "case against seven". Judge Mnatsakan Martirosyan announced that Voskerchyan's lawyer Stepan Voskanyan also shows disrespect for court with his nonattendance to the court hearing already for a second day.
The court will apply to the Chamber of Advocates to impose sanctions on Stepan Voskanyan. Under the acting law a sanction can be imposed on a lawyer after three flippant absences.
Note that Stepan Voskanyan had informed the judge about his departure to Akhaltskha where he was going to attend a local trial.
Anyway, the Judge scheduled the next hearing on March 13 knowing that the lawyer won't be able to return to Armenia by then.
Defendant Hakob Hakobyan's lawyer, Melania Arustamyan, says on March 9, immediately after the court hearing, Stepan Voskanyan had informed Judge Mnatskan Martirosyan of his departure from March 10 to March 13. "The judge's decision is not reasonable," says Melania Arustamyan.
Mrs. Arustamyan is convinced that Stepan Voskanyan has violated no law on advocate's behaviour.
"They follow us at every step and know everything about our personal lives. It is too unpleasant. Why should an ordinary prosecutor know when Voskanyan crossed the border?" says Mrs. Arustamyan in reply to Prosecutor Piloyan's statement that Voskanyan didn't do to Georgia yesterday, he crossed the border at 7.30 today morning.
The court hearing on the case of seven will continue tomorrow.
