Advocates hold action
With signs reading "Justice without "consent", "Our Demand is Real Justice", "No To Justice Killers", several lawyers gathered in front of the Court of Appeals.
Their demand is for judges to reach fair verdicts and not be punished for that.
What brought them together is the case against Albert Khachatryan. Judge of the Avan and Nor-Nork districts' court of general jurisdiction Samvel Mnatsakanyan has released him in exchange for pawn, even though he had chosen arrest as a precautionary measure before that.
On June 24, the RA Justice Council appealed to Serzh Sargsyan to suspend the judge's powers since he had not explained the release in exchange of pawn.
President of the Armenian Chamber of Advocates Ruben Sahakyan studied the case and found out that Judge Samvel Mnatsakanyan had not explained his ruling for applying arrest as a precautionary measure.
"He is not punished for not explaining the ruling, but he is condemned by the President of the Court of Appeals, the regulatory committee of the Justice Council and other members for applying pledge as a precautionary measure," Ruben Sahakyan said. According to him, there are tens of verdicts without explanations on a regular basis.
Attorney Lusine Sahakyan mentioned that their goal was to have human rights protected in Armenia and to have the judges understand that they must be guided by the law and not submit to anyone's will.
"Today, judges are punished for not submitting to the Court of Appeals. We have no problem with defending Mnatsakanyan. The goal is to defend the judge that has been guided by the law," Sahakyan said.
Albert Khachatryan's attorney Gayane Sargsyan mentioned that his client was innocent and that the case had already been quashed.
Albert Khachatryan was charged under Points 3, 4, Point 2, Article 175 for a bandit attack on an apartment with a weapon.
"The boy is innocent because the crimes continued before he returned to Armenia and was sent to the "Nubarashen" Penitentiary," the attorney mentioned.
