VAHAGN CHAKHALIAN’S DEFENDER INTENDS TO APPEAL AGAINST SENTENCE AT APPEAL COURT

Noyan Tapan
Dec 06 2006

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 6, NOYAN TAPAN. The real purpose of moving
the trial on case of Vahagn Chakhalian, presidency member of the
United Javakhk Democratic Bloc, to Gyumri was to pass him to the
Georgian authorities, which was planned beforehand. Armen Aghayan,
Javakhk Board member, reported this at the December 6 meeting with
journalists at the Pakagits club. He said that immediately after the
end of the trial representatives of police presented RA Police Chief’s
order on banishment from Armenia to V.Chakhalian and accompanied
him to the Armenian-Georgian border. V.Chakhalian’s defender Tigran
Hayrapetian said that according to the law, administrative banishment
is carried out when a foreign citizen’s activity threatens to the
country’s national security, public order and customs, citizens’
rights and freedoms. It was mentioned that when making the decision
on banishment they disregarded the law’s provision, according to
which a foreign citizen’s leaving Armenia is prohibited if a criminal
case was instituted towards him, an investigation is going on or he
has not served his punishment yet. The defender considers that they
should not have made such a decision, as the sentence has not come
into a legal force yet.

T.Hayrapetian said that the defence party is going to appeal against
the sentence at RA Appeal Court on Criminal and Military Cases,
which cannot examine the case without the defendant’s presence.