On August 3rd at a regular court session for “Unification” movement member Avetik Chalabyan’s case, public prosecutor Armen Beglaryan, at the seat of the center of the Yerevan Court of Common Jurisdiction, petitioned Avetik Chalabyan to choose bail as a preventive measure. The defenders stated that although there are no grounds for applying bail as a preventive measure, they will agree to the application of bail if the court finds it so. The term of Avetik Chalabyan’s detainment ended at the end of July. He was free these past few days and despite the health problems aggravated by the detainment, he appeared at the court hearings.
Although the accuser requested bail, judge Mnatsakan Martirosyan decided to detain Avetik Chalabyan for three months and execute the decision from the courtroom. It is noteworthy that before the publication of the decision, the defense submitted letters of recommendation from a number of persons, including former high-ranking officials, the President of Artsakh, the Speaker of the National Assembly of Artsakh, the leader of the Diocese of Artsakh, public figures, politicians, and representatives of the business sector.
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“Your decision is illegal and it has been proven once again that you are a part of the chain of political persecution. The purpose of this is to send him to a detention center due to his political activity. You didn’t explain your decision in any way,” said Varazdat Harutyunyan, one of Chalabyan’s lawyers, addressing the judge.
The judge urged him to be calm in his expressions and to appeal the decision in case of objections. Those present in the courtroom were upset by the judge’s decision. A break was called.
Avetik Chalabyan, co-founder of the “ArAr” Foundation and member of the “Unification” movement, is accused of taking material interest in two or more people, in this case, students, to participate in the gatherings during the resistance movement in 2022. His defense team announced, “The basis of the accusation is only one edited and inadmissible recording according to the Criminal Procedure Code of the Republic of Armenia, in which Avetik Chalabyan does not make any claims about offering material interest in order to participate in the gatherings. On the contrary, in response to the questions of the interlocutor Tornik Aliyan, who carries out an obvious provocation, he answers that “there are intangible values in life, which are more important.” During the face-to-face interrogation, Aliyan claimed that Avetik Chalabyan never offered him money or other material benefit to participate in the gatherings. There is no testimony, including that of Tornik Aliyan, which mentions the name of any second person who is the recipient of material interest.”
Luiza Sukiasyan
