Not assessing gravity of the moment correctly
The criminal cases in relation to the events of March 1 are failing in courts," told "A1+" President of the Helsinki Association, advocate Michael Danielyan, who has followed-up on nearly 70 trials.
As proof of that, Danielyan mentioned the cases of abduction and the approval of prosecutors' petitions to not listen to the eyewitnesses in court.
"The authorities benefit when the courts read the testmonies of the preliminary inquiry and sentence people," said Michael Danielyan.
Danielyan said that the abduction of eyewitnesses is a punishable crime.
"When they make statements about abduction of eyewitnesses, the first thing that the court must do is to take corresponding measures. If the court overlooks that, it is as guilty as those who give the command for abduction."
In fact, the prosecutors were the ones who abducted all eyewitneses, including those who did not show up to court for prosecution. "This goes to show once again that the preliminary inquiry body got the testimonies it needed by force and torture and the eyewitnesses are talking about that in court," said the advocate.
He doesn't believe in Serzh Sargysyan's amnesty. According to him, the prisoners will be sentenced regardless of the fact that there is no evidence proving that they are guilty for crimes in relation to the events of March 1.
"I think that there will be no amnesty. I don't believe in the current authorities. Even if they declare amnesty, it will not be for political prisoners. The authorities are waiting for the PACE Monitoring Committee session scheduled for June 5."
Danielyan also told "A1+" that he met with CE Human Rights Commissioner Tomas Hammarberg in Strasbourg on May 18.
"Mr. Hammarberg told me that the Armenian authorities are not assessing the gravity of the moment correctly," said the advocate, mentioning that Hammarberg meant the revelation of events of March 1 and release of political prisoners.
