Epress.am News from Armenia
Presiding Judge Mnatsakan Martirosyan in today's trial in the case against political activist Shant Harutyunyan (pictured) and the 13 other men who were arrested with him in clashes with police last year asked whether the parties wish to disqualify the judge and the court secretary. Harutyunyan said he was already sentenced once by the same judge (in 2008–2009, in a scandalous case known as the Case of Seven), but he doesn't believe the decision was made by the judge.
"If I [request] a recusal it would mean I hope that if another judge [presides over this case] it might lead to a fair verdict," said Harutyunyan.
Addressing his 13 friends, Harutyunyan said they are free to make their own decision in the matter of asking the judge to recuse himself, but he urged them to refrain from making statements that could harm their dignity.
"If you think that by saying something, you might [get to] go home one day early, you can freely express yourselves. If you want, you can say that you hit the police officer and now you regret it. But please, don't harm our and your dignity, though I don't doubt you for a minute," he said.
One of the defendants, Alek Poghosyan, said that Armenian judges are guided by orders coming from Russia, and he asked to invite prosecutors from Russia. Judge Martirosyan went to his consultation room, to discuss this statement. At that time, the court was in recess.
Note, at the start of the session, there was tension in the courtroom. About 10 police officers were standing in front of journalists and relatives of the accused, who asked them not to block their view.
Recall, Shant Harutyunyan and his supporters were arrested on November 5, 2013, in Yerevan, at the start of an anti-government march. They are accused of "hooliganism" involving weapons or objects used as weapons. Several local human rights activists and international organizations consider the men political prisoners.