OMBUDSMAN IS CONCERNED OVER HAKOBIAN’S ARREST

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[03:16 pm] 05 October, 2007

The arrest of Gagik Hakobian, the owner of the Royal Armenia Company,
caught RA Ombudsman Armen Harutiunian unawares.

Reminder: on October 3 Gagik Hakobian was detained at Zvartnots airport
on returning from Spain. Though Armen Harutiunian had officially
petitioned the Court of Appeals to review the preventive punishment the
court ordered law-enforcement authorities to arrest the businessman.

During the Appellate Court hearings Gagik Hakobian was in Spain for
medical treatment. The Court upheld the prosecutor’s petition thus
scrapping an arrest. The court dismissed Hakobian’s assurances to
return to the country after completing the treatment.

On the whole, the RA Ombudsman is discontent with the level of justice
in the country. To the question whether courts are dependent of the
authorities Armen Harutiunian said, "People are skeptical about courts.

Our citizens do not believe that courts are entitled to administer
justice."