Epress.am News from Armenia
Ara Karapetyan’s sister, Dzovinar Karapetyan, will not permit herself to say what implications the charge against her brother and keeping him for two years in the National Security Service prison has, but she doesn’t think there’s a political context in all this.
Note, Ara Karapetyan is one of ten people accused of breaking into the home of and assaulting former chair of the RA State Customs Committee Armen Avetisyan on Oct. 27, 2008. His friends and family, who say the accusation is unfounded and demand a fair trial, were protesting outside the president’s residence in Yerevan today.
Protestors had brought with them placards on which was written “Freedom to Ara Karapetyan,” “Don’t convict without evidence,” and “We trust the president.”
Speaking to journalists, Dzovinar Karapetyan said her brother is accused of forming a criminal gang and staging a string of robberies; however, during the trial, six of the ten accused of being members of said criminal gang said they didn’t know Ara Karapetyan.
“This trial is completely a settling of accounts with respect to Ara Karapetyan, but I won’t allow myself to suspect anyone. When I have facts and proof, then I can say something,” she said.
She noted as well that today she would like to submit a letter from Ara Karapetyan to RA President Serzh Sargsyan, but she refuses to hand over the letter to the letters department.
“I will give this only to the president, or to departments higher up than the letters department, but not the letters department,” she said.
Asked by Epress.am the contents of the letter, Dzovinar Karapetyan did not wish to say, explaining she doesn’t have the authority to do so.
“This was written personally by Ara Karapetyan, and I can’t say what’s written here, but I’m convinced that the reality with all its details is presented to the president,” she said.
Asked by Epress.am what will be their next steps and whether they expect a fair trial, Dzovinar Karapetyan said she expects a fair trial in Armenia.
“Our next steps will be dependent on what extent the court will hold a fair trial, and I always have hope,” she said.
Note, during the demonstration, about 5–6 officers were negotiating with Dzovinar Karapetyan on the specific place for the demonstration. The parties reached an agreement and the demonstration took place very far from the presidential residence, near the store on the other side of the street.