Epress.am News from Armenia
Former political prisoner, Armenian civic activist Vardges Gaspari refused on Thursday to show up for his trial at Yerevan's Shengavit district court and was dragged out of his home by law enforcement officers.
When the officers came for Gaspari to his house, the activist lay down at the door of his apartment and said he would only be taken to court by force. The police then took Gaspari by his limbs and moved him to the police car.
In courtroom, Gaspari was put on the floor and did not say a word throughout the entirety of the hearing. Judge Nelly Baghdasaryan urged the activist to “take a more decent position,” warning to otherwise impose a “strict judicial sanction” in the form of a 3-hour removal from courtroom. The judge's remark was also left unanswered by Vardges Gaspari.
Note, Gaspari is boycotting the proceedings in which he is accused of contempt of court. The civic activist had previously declared his distrust toward judge Baghdasaryan and stated he expected no justice from her. He had also urged his lawyers not to attend the hearings, after which the court issued a decision on assigning Gaspari a public defender and forcibly bringing the activist to court.
On Wednesday, January 20, Gaspari delivered a letter of appeal to the country's Chamber of Advocates, rejecting the services of his newly assigned public defender Mery Alaverdyan. Speaking to Epress.am, the activist said he hoped Alaverdyan had “enough dignity so as not to impose her services on me.”
Today's hearing was adjourned until February 1 since the public defender had also failed to appear at court.