“There is a similar precedent. Prior to March 1, 2008, Robert Kocharyan, after his visit to Moscow, returned, and on February 26 at the meeting with the YSU students, still prior to filing criminal cases, he simply stated that many-many will sit in prison for a long time”, so responded the Head of HCA Vanadzor office, Artur Sakunts, in response to the question of Aravot.am whether there had been a precedent that the country’s president had intervened in the decision-making processes on the most important issues, like for instance, he did in the case with Shant Harutyunyan and his friends. He also emphasized that using the word government is no longer a correct word and reasoned, “We have to fix that no matter it is desirable to use the word government we need to refrain from it. Serzh Sargsyan announced at the Columbia University that there is a regime. The regime is where the government as such does not exist, because the judicial, legislative, executive, and all of them are integral parts or offices of one regime.” As we have already informed, at the trial on the lawsuit “Shant Harutyunyan and friends” at Kentron and Nork Marash General Jurisdiction Court in Yerevan, the judge Mnatsakan Martirosyan did not allow Shant Harutyunyan’s lawyer Inessa Petrossyan to make a statement in response to the one voiced by Serge Sargsyan to Shant Harutyunyan. After the court session, Aravot.am inquired to know what she wanted to voice at the courtroom, Inessa Petrossyan responded, “My statement referred to the response of President of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan, that a question was asked about Shant Harutyunyan and Serzh Sargsyan had responded that he had committed a crime and should be punished. I wanted to say that during this trial, the case of hooliganism by our clients, Shant and others, was fully denied, and we hoped that justice should be administered in all cases. While, at this critical moment, when it was the time for defense speeches and we were at the stage of debates, the President of Armenia predetermined the outcome of the case and issued an accusation verdict. Obviously, the President of Armenia already instructed and actually everything is already clear. Presumption of innocence of persons is violated. This is already clear and it was a guidance for the court what kind of decision should be made.”
Note that after the lawsuit “Shant Harutyunyan and friends”, when the defendants were brought out from the court and taken to Penitentiary, the participants of the protest “The president violating the presumption of innocence is a criminal himself” accompanied him with calls “heroes” and “freedom”.
Tatev HARUTYUNYAN
