Epress.am News from Armenia
Judge Eva Darbinyan today again refused to consider a motion to release political prisoner Tigran Araqelyan in the Court of Appeal while hearing the case of the four opposition Armenian National Congress (HAK) youth accused of attacking police officers in an incident that occured two years ago. Judge Darbinyan said that Araqelyan's attorneys could make that motion only during closing remarks.
Responding to the judge's statement after the court session, Stepan Voskanyan, who is defending the activists' interests, said that with this statement the court incapacitates them, since the attorneys need to ask for time to prepare their remarks; meanwhile, Araqelyan continues to remain in prison.
The statement also angered Araqelyan, who said that he will reject the amnesty adopted by parliament last week, adding that he needs a just ruling and he will achieve it this or some other courtroom. After Araqelyan's remarks, his supporters in the courtroom began to shout "Shame! Shame!" after which the judges left the room.
Attorney Stepan Voskanyan afterwards told reporters that Araqelyan's remark about refusing the amnesty is simply an act of protest and being released through amnesty will not prevent his client from appealing the ruling and achieving justice.
Examined in court today was police officer Shahen Harutyunyan, named as a victim in the case. Recall, at the court session Monday, Araqelyan had asked the court to call Harutyunyan to the stand, since there were contradictions in the testimony he gave in the lower court.
According to phone records supplied by Armenian telecommunications operator VivaCell-MTS, calls were made from Harutyunyan's phone at around 11 pm on the day of the incident; meanwhile, he said that he lost his phone at around 9:30 pm, during the altercation with activists. Furthermore, he said that he regained his number two days after the incident, when, in fact, it was two years later.
To questions clarifying these facts, Harutyunyan mainly answered "I don't remember" and "I don't know". Araqelyan asked Harutyunyan was it possible that the phone was lost but not the SIM card, to which the police officer said yes, it's possible, since he would constantly be removing and reinserting the SIM card.
After the testimony, police officers directed Harutyunyan to Araqelyan, which is a violation, since an officer have no right to direct a victim or tell him where to go, as well as take him to the accused.
As reported by an Epress.am correspondent, there was another violation before the session. Court bailiffs refused to allow HAK activists' supporters into the courtroom and only allowed journalists and family members of the accused.
The bailiffs explained that there's no room, but the Epress.am correspondent confirmed that there were empty places.
Recall, Araqelyan has been sentenced to six years in prison for allegedly attacking officers near Swan Lake in central Yerevan in August 2011. The other HAK activists also charged were released pending trial, while Araqelyan has remained in detention for the past two years.