The hearing of Venera Torosyan’s case was continued at the first instance court of Shengavit administrative district presiding by judge Nelly Baghdasaryan. Prior to the beginning of the hearing, Nelly Baghdasaryan informed the Aravot.am journalist that Venera Torosyan does not want the trial to be videotaped. Later, Venera Torosyan announced that she does not want the trial to be covered at all. Judge Nelly Baghdasaryan turned to Aravot.am journalist who said that the case is a subject of public interest and an open court session is going on. Nelly Baghdasaryan replied that there is a problem of immunity of the person here and a privacy of person information and followed by the Constitution, the court has the right to prohibit the coverage of the court hearing.
When the Аravot.am journalist noted that in such cases it is stipulated to hold a closed-door court session but in this case, nothing prevents the journalist to attend the trial and covered it, the judge noted that the court is making the decision. Venera Torosyan’s lawyer Armine Fanyan threatened the Aravot.am journalist that if her client’s name appears in any publication, then the media will have problems. Already during the trial, Nelly Baghdasaryan informed the parties that the Aravot.am journalist is present in the courtroom. Venera Torosyan and her lawyer turned to the court saying that they are against the coverage of the trial.
The court granted the petition and decided to ban the coverage of the trial, as well as the recording of the court session, citing the rights to immunity of the person and personal privacy. The lawyer asked, “And what If the decision is not fulfilled?” Nelly Baghdasaryan replied that then they will decide what to do. Note that Venera Torosyan is accused of voting instead of other persons on the day of the Constitutional referendum. She was charged that during the referendum on the constitutional amendments as a Chairman of the Committee for the polling station No. 8/31 located by 34/1 Shevchenko Street of Yerevan city, she intentionally voted in the place of other persons (Narek Aleksanyan and Valentina Aleksanyan), by filling in the passport data in the voter list and signing for them, then put a stamp on the voters list and afterwards voted unnoticed by other members of the voting committee.
Ami CHICHAKYAN
