CRITICISM IS NOT ATTEMPT OF VIOLENT COUP

Lragir, Armenia
July 24 2007

On July 24 the court heard the case of the members of the Consolidation
of Armenian Volunteers Civil Initiative Vardan Malkhasyan, Jirair
Sefilyan and their friend Vahan Aroyan, accused of calls for a violent
coup. Vardan Malkhasyan testified and elucidated on his speech which
was defined as a call for a violent coup.

Article 27 of the Constitution allows expressing opinion and
nobody has the right to make someone change their opinion, Vardan
Malkhasyan stated. Article 301 of the Criminal Code contradicts to
the Constitution of Armenia, it is not distinct and certain, and this
"uncertainty allows the government to apply this article arbitrarily
for settling accounts with oppositionist and undesirable figures."

Vardan Malkhasyan appealed to the hall. "Don’t give up, we will win."

In testifying he looked at the hall not the bench. Vardan Malkhasyan
said his speech was criticism, stern criticism but not an appeal for a
violent coup. I said the people who sell what was gained through the
blood of freedom fighters, who led the Armenians into this poverty,
are concealed enemies, internal enemies, leftovers of the criminal
world. "If the court decides that they are the government of Armenia,
I will plea guilty," Vardan Malkhasyan stated. He said in his speech
that Serge and Kocharyan have put out the fatherland to sale. "Everyone
says this, I am not alone." Vardan Malkhasyan does not deny his speech,
but he says he did not call for a violent coup and proposes holding
a linguistic test.

"I wonder why the government fears criticism," Vardan Malkhasyan
stated and criticized the government in the courtroom. Recently
Robert Kocharyan has stated that there is lack of confidence for
courts. The reason is "that there are people in Armenia who think
they are above the law and justice, who do not let the judge think
correctly, implement justice, and the cause comes from the president."

According to Vardan Malkhasyan, the decision on their detention
makes the court sentence us to more stern punishments. "We have been
detained for 7 to 8 months now. If the court decided to sentence us
to three months of detention, not a fine or three years in prison,
who will account for our serving more by 5 months?" Vardan Malkhasyan
asked. It means the court will sentence to the ultimate punishment,
three years, Vardan Malkhasyan thinks.