“If the court gives us guarantees, nothing will remain besides continuing the investigation. If not, of course, we will present a self-rejection to the judge because it will be an illegal court to begin with,” former mayor of Meghri and Armenia alliance deputy Mkhitar Zakaryan’s lawyer, Yerem Sargsyan, told reporters during the break in the investigation of the appeal against Zakaryan’s attention.
He said that the court session went for a break 15 minutes after beginning because the judge, Ruzanna Barseghyan, asked to clarify why she was endorsed for the case and if the order outlined by the law is being maintained. On this occasion, the lawyer explained, “The court did not know anything. The judge knows that she was endorsed for the case, but since the order outlined by the law is listed on a computer, she must have known why she was manually endorsed. The first issue is that the court needs to clarify if the order was maintained when it accepts any appeal for trial. If it is illegal, then there is no court established based on the law. Supposedly, the judge showed this endorsement. We asked her to clarify with what authority the president of the court carried out this endorsement, but she did not comment. The reasoning of the court is that if the president of the court endorsed it, then it is in accordance with the law. We have deep doubts, especially since information has circulated in the press that these computers have been specifically confiscated, as if it has become impossible for them to endorse the cases on the computer. They have endorsed the complaints they want to keep under control.”
The lawyer insisted that this was the case here and continued. “The nature of the case, the whole process shows that there is control over the case of Mkhitar Zakaryan, and there are illegalities taking place about which I will speak later, from the police to the CEC, the Investigative Committee, the Prosecutor’s Office, which no one sees.” The lawyer said that the judge was given time to find out whether the computers were confiscated or not, and if not, then what was the presiding judge’s rule that made such a signature? Yerem Sargsyan said that after that, when the judge comes, they will see what answer she gives, and then they will decide their steps. He is surprised at how the judge does not want to find out whether the law has been followed or not. There is no computer, but it was endorsed. The lawyer asked if the presiding judge should make these clarifications.
Tatev Harutyunyan
