LAWYERS OF ZHIRAYR SEFILYAN AND VARDAN MALKHASYAN DEMAND ACQUITTAL FOR THEIR CLIENTS

arminfo
2007-07-19 16:45:00

The lawyers of Zhirayr Sefilyan and Vardan Malkhasyan, heads of
public organizations who are kept in custody, demand acquittal for
their clients.

To recall, the trial is postponed till July 24. The detainees are
accused of public calls for overthrow of the Constitutional order in
the country.

Seflyan’s lawyer Vahe Grigoryan said at Friday Discussion Club that
the accusation of illegal keeping of weapons made against Sefilyan
is silly as Sefilyan’s piston is nominal. It is a gifted by the
former Commander of NKR Defence Army Samvel Babayan. Sefilyan has a
relevant document signed not only by Samvel Babayan, but also by three
high-ranking officers of the Defence Army as required. "It is clear
why the court took a 11-day pause before considering our petitions
for changing the measure of restraint. The case is disintegrating
before their eyes and judges just temporize," Vahe Grigoryan said.

For his part, Vardan Malkhasyan’s lawyer, Mushegh Shushanyan said
that immediately after Malkhasyan’s arrest, the National Security
Service offices advised his client to "regret for the calls made on
December 2 at the assembly of the Union of Volunteers, otherwise
all the 30 participants in the assembly will be arrested for
accompliceship. Malkhasyan had to agree on their proposal to save
his colleagues. However, neither Sefilyan nor he have pled guilty,"
the lawyer said.