Activists acknowledged themselves innocent
Armenian National Congress activists David Kiramijyan and Sargis Gevorgyan acknowledged themselves innocent in court during the hearing of their case at Kentron and Nork-Marash first instance court in Yerevan.
The judge asked prosecutor Sargis Gevorgyan whether he had understood the charge, to which he replied: "No, I don't understand why participation in massive or not so massive events is a crime in Armenia. I find that the criminal persecution is illegal."
Sargis Gevorgyan was disappointed in the fact that prosecutor Harutyun Harutyunyan had stated in his conclusion that he and David Kiramijyan had participated in the massive public events organized by violation of the order prescribed by law and had committed hooligan acts. Let us remind that the HAK activists were arrested on May 31 near Freedom Square.
David Kiramijyan's advocate Melanya Arustamyan presented a challenge petition to the prosecutor. According to the advocate, before confirming the accusatory conclusion, prosecutor Harutyun Harutyunyan had to check for certain facts. For instance, was the preliminary inquiry objective and comprehensive? Was there evidence for the charge? According to the advocate, that wasn't the case: "The prosecutor shouldn't have confirmed the accusatory conclusion. It had to quash the proceedings and not send it to the court," says Melanya Arustamyan.
The prosecutor did not agree with the advocate's challenge petition and denied it.
According to Melanya Arustamyan, her client's act had no attributes of the crime foreseen by the act that he was charged with. "This criminal case is no different from the other ones. We are facing the issue of justice and there is a lack of the right to a fair trial. After each case, I regret that a fair trial is in danger in Armenia."
Out of the 2 injured charged with this criminal case, only police officer Arkadi Baghdasaryan attended the trial, while three of the witnesses and the other injured were absent. The advocate was disappointed.
The trial was postponed until August 12 due to their absence and the advocate's busy schedule.
