"If you want to try me, do it!"
"Do you want everything to be unveiled or not? Do you want this country to take a normal path or not? If not, let's forget everything and I shall serve my time in prison. Aren't you ashamed at all?" announced Hakob Hakobyan, charged with last years' post-election unrest.
The defendant made the announcement after Judge Hovsep Sargsyan protested against Advocate Melania Arustamya's motion.
The advocate petitioned the Court to attach the examinations of the two witnesses for the defence.
One of the witnesses, Lavrent Gasparyan had refused his pretrial testimony against defendant Hakob Hakobyan as the witness claimed to have done it under duress. Note that Lavrent Gasparyan had been arrested on alleged charges of shoplifting and assault on a policeman.
The prosecutor mainly relied on Lavrent Gasparyan's pre-trail testimony according to which Hakob Hakobyan had held a meeting in a Malatia fair on March 1 while the other witnesses stated Hakobyan had been at Liberty Square.
Hakob Hakobyan says he was at the National Security Service on March 1.
The Judge's objection made Hakobyan indignant: "My dear Prosecutor! You are entitled to protect the interests of your state and not of an individual. Otherwise, an ordinary man charged with shoplifting turns out to be prosecuting an MP. If you want to try me, do it. I have nothing against. But who is that Lavrent?" shouted Hakob Hakobyan.
The next witness, 18-year-old Gevorg Muradyan also stated to have given testimony under threat.
The next court sitting is scheduled for June 9. The Prosecutor is expected to make a speech for the prosecution.
