Piloyan confirmed Pashinyan’s words
Editor-in-chief of "Haykakan Zhamanak" daily Nikol Pashinyan was greeted with applause and screams of "Freedom" at the Shengavit district's first instance court.
Pashinyan's trial began with Judge Mnatsakan Martirosyan's demand for a challenge petition.
Before that, Nikol Pashinyan announced that he was going to do everything possible to make sure the trial is held within the framework of the law. Taking into account the precedents of the "Case of Seven", Pashinyan said that he would refuse any advocate if the judge reaches any verdict against him and removes him from court.
"As a law-abiding RA citizen, a journalist and a father of three children and for the sake of freedom, I will do everything possible. I will not tolerate the illegalities and the bandit government. I hope that my speech doesn't derange the judge and the prosecutors," he said.
Pashinyan's advocate Lusine Sahakyan listed the criminal cases related to March 1 by which Martirosyan had already reached verdicts. "This case is not very different from the cases of Alexander Arzumanyan and Suren Sirunyan. You can't reach an impartial verdict for Pashinyan because you will contradict yourselves. Everyone is confident that nobody can fulfill this order better than you. If you don't approve the challenge petition, you will prove that you are not impartial." Nikol Pashinyan also joined the advocate's petition.
Pashinyan reminded Martirosyan that he was appointed judge during Robert Kocharyan's term in 1999 and listed the studies by "Transparency International" conducted throughout the years, proving that Armenia's judicial system was the most corrupted and uncapable of conducting a fair trial. Prosecutor Koryun Piloyan also confirmed Pashinyan's words, mentioning that all Armenian judges are part of the system. Piloyan wanted to substantiate that Martirosyan's demand for a challenge petition was unsubstantiated.
Mnatsakan Martirosyan left for the consultation room to discuss the challenge petition.
