Hayk Kyureghyan Did Not Stand Again in Court, Father Claims Decision is Principled

The second court session of Hayk Kyureghyan's case, a supporter of political prisoners Shant Harutyunyan and friends, convened like the last session. After hearing “Raise, the court is coming” protocol, the prisoner remained seated and was later reprimanded by the presiding judge Armen Bektashyan. Like the previous court session, the defendant’s lawyer Ara Zakaryan had not presented himself to the court. According to the judge, if the lawyer does not present himself to the court three times then Kyureghyan will either have to choose another lawyer or resign from a defender altogether. Like the last session, Kyureghyan also stated today, that he was willing to continue the trial without a lawyer.

Due to the fact that he made the latter statement sitting down, the judge responded that he would deal with the “prisoner’s disrespectful behavior” later and delayed the next hearing until December 17, at noon.

Hayk Kyureghyan’s father, Armenak Kyureghyan, spoke about his son’s behavior during the session and stated that his son displayed principles and that he does not stand because he does not respect the court.

Note, on July 12th, the first day of Shant Harutyunyan's trial, Hayk Kyureghyan yelled outside the court that he would not let them “judge Shant” and jumped on a car, firing an airsoft gun toward police officers. Kyureghyan was arrested and later announced that he had also been beaten at the police department, while Shant Harutyunyan welcomed Kyureghyan’s actions in the courtroom.

Kyureghyan informed the head of a group of civil society members who monitor conditions in Armenian prisons and detention centers Hasmik Sahakyan, who had come to visit him at the Erebuni temporary detention center, that he was ill-treated during and after the arrest. Kyureghyan claimed in his testimony regarding to the case that first, the police beat him in their car, when being taken to the Kentron Division and handcuffed him in two separate rooms at the Police division where he was not only beat by uniformed but also plain clothed police.  The case about the violence has been dismissed.