"The order came from presidential office"
The investigation into the case of Tigran Postanjyan, the brother of outspoken opposition parliamentarian Zaruhi Postanjyan, concluded this morning.
"There has been a pile of violations in the case," Postanjyan's attorney Hayk Alumyan told journalists on Monday.
"Firstly, as soon as an action was filed against Postanjyan, he was labeled as a criminal which is a rough violation of presumption of innocence. Secondly, the National Security Service is in charge of the investigation but the NSS does not have the right to examine this case," said Alumyan.
In February 2011, a case was filed against Tigran Postanjian, a leading specialist in Yerevan's Arabkir district, for receiving AMD 100,000 (about $274 US) remuneration for turning a blind eye to illegal construction carried out by an unnamed local resident. A criminal case was instituted under Article 311 of the RA Criminal Code (taking bribes by a state official).
According to Alumyan, the court, unable to find a legitimate reason for arresting his client, brought "trumped-up" charges against him in an attempt to pressurize Zaruhi Postanjyan and her party [Heritage].
Human rights activist Avetik Ishkhanyan added that Tigran Petrosyan had not committed a grave crime to hide from the public.
"It is evident that this is a show and chase against Postanjyan. The prosecution and the other judicial bodies are under political influence," said Ishkhanyan.
They all agreed that the order to arrest Tigran Postanjyan came from the presidential office.
