Epress.am News from Armenia
The court hearing against Sasna Tsrer armed group member Arayik Khandoyan’s brother, Ararat Khandoyan, was interrupted Thursday by applause from those present for political prisoner and Karabakh war veteran Volodya Avetisyan, who came to support Khandoyan at his hearing just hours after being released from the Vardashen prison himself.
“I’ve come here because live in a tyranny and we have to fight to establish the rule of law in this country. All these court cases are fabricated; [the authorities] are harassing and killing these people because they want to empty Armenia. I don’t know whose order they carry out or to whom they serve, but surely the Armenian authorities do not serve their own people,” Avetisyan announced in conversation with reporters.
The veteran also told reporters that he, along with a group of his allies, intended to start a sit-in strike outside government offices right after Khandoyan’s hearing ended: “We demand Serzh Sargsyan’s resignation! We demand the resignation of these authorities because that is the only way to end this tyranny. I do not know how this will end, but I’m not afraid of their threats.”
As the hearing proceeded after the break, prosecutor Hayk Petrosyan finished up reading out the indictment and, much to the displeasure of Khandoyan’s supporters, demanded that the man be sentenced to 4 years in prison.
Khandoyan himself then asked judge Mnatsakan Martirosyan for a chance to speak and announced that “the judge and the prosecutor have entered into criminal conspiracy” and committed a crime under Article 143.3 of Armenia’s criminal code – direct or indirect breach of the human rights and freedoms of citizens through abuse of official position. Khandoyan’s speech, however, was interrupted by judge Mnatsakanyan, who told the defendant that he could file a crime report with the Special Investigation Service, if he wished to.
Speaking to reporters after the hearing, Khandoyan’s mother deemed the prosecutor’s motion groundless, saying: “My 4 sons fought for their homeland [in the Karabakh war], but it turns out that the homeland is corrupt. I do not expect anything from this court, because there is no justice in this country.”
Ararat Khandoyan, brother of Sasna Tsrer (Daredevils of Sasun) anti-government group member Arayik Khandoyan, was arrested on July 21, 2016, following clashes between police and supporters of Sasna Tsrer and is being accused of taking part in mass disorders and using violence against a police officer.