“I think it is a formal step. If the suspect were in Armenia, they did not appeal, they let him leave and then appealed,” – such an opinion was expressed by president of “Asparez” journalists’ club, Levon Barseghyan, in an interview with Aravot.am, referring to the appeal of the RA Prosecutor General’s decision at the First Instance Court of Appeal of Kentron and Nork-Marash administrative districts of Yerevan to release the citizen of the Russian Federation, Sergey Mironov.
Note that Russia citizen Sergey Mironov was arrested at the Yerevan airport by the claim of the US, after which he was released. He is now in Russia. Mr. Barseghyan compared this with Valery Permyakov’s case, “As then so as now, the RA authorities showed that they are unprincipled. The reason is that the RA authorities are under the Kremlin’s thumb and it is not news.” According to Levon Barseghyan, the Court of Cassation will reject this appeal. TO our question, so what problem the RA General Prosecutor’s Office resolves, Mr. Barseghyan replied, “They are trying to save their faces but it is not a kindergarten. The court decision was not made by the court independently. How could they not receive an order from Baghramyan 26?”
To our fear of whether it is possible for Armenia to be accused of concealing an international criminal offense after all, as Mironov is charged with articles of illegal arms trade and money laundering, Mr. Barseghyan responded as follows, “No, simply they will take this into account during the future relations with Armenia. This is a symbolic and checking case.”
Tatev HARUTYUNYAN
