Epress.am News from Armenia
In court today, Hrant Gevorgyan, attorney to Hakob Manukyan, one of the accused in the case of rifle platoon commander Artak Nazaryan, who died suddenly while serving in Tavush marz (province) during peacetime on Jul. 27, 2010, made a motion for withdrawal (not the first time) to Judge Samvel Vardanyan.
As told to Epress.am by Helsinki Association for Human Rights defender Arman Veziryan, present at today’s trial, Gevorgyan named as the basis for his motion that the judge is not impartial and that he his overruling all the important questions directed to witnesses.
Apart from this, Gevorgyan also stressed that the judge is prohibiting asking questions on evidence that hasn’t been investigated and thus “taking the side of the prosecution.”
Representatives of the other defendants in the case also joined this motion.
Attorney Alvard Mnatsakanyan noted that during the trial the judge prompted one of the witnesses in the case, Arman Mnatsakanyan, saying “You can say I don’t remember.”
In order to examine the motion for withdrawal, the judge went to the consulting room and the decision will be announced at tomorrow’s court session, which will take place at 12 pm.