On December 4 Court To Make Decision Concerning Case On Refusing To

ON DECEMBER 4 COURT TO MAKE DECISION CONCERNING CASE ON REFUSING TO GIVE CERTIFICATE TO ARAM KARAPETIAN

Noyan Tapan
Dec 03 2007

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 3, NOYAN TAPAN. The trial against the Passport
and Visa Office of the RA Police concerning the case on the lawsuit
of the Nor Zhamanakner (New Times) Party started on December 3. The
party appeals against the decision of the above-mentioned office on
refusing to give certificate to Aram Karapetian, the Chairman of the
Nor Zhamanakner (New Times) Party, about having permanently lived in
the Republic of Armenia for ten years. This certificate is one of
the documents necessary for being nominated in the RA Presidential
elections.

The trial is proceeding in the Court of First Instance of the Kentron
and Nork-Marash communities of Yerevan with judge Edik Avetisian at
the head.

Aram Karapetian made a petition to conduct a survey and demand from
the archives of the Central Electoral Commission the certificate
presented by him during the nomination as a candidate in the 2003
presidential elections, as well as the one on his having permanently
lived in Armenia given by the same sub-division of the police. The
Chairman of the Nor Zhamanakner (New Times) Party also made a petition
to conduct a survey in the corresponding regional sections of the
police and the military registration and enlistment office in order
to find out since what year he has been registered: the plaintiff
claims that he has been registered in Armenia since July 3, 1992.

Hovhannes Kocharian, a Lieutenant-Colonel of the Police and the Deputy
Head of the Legal Security Office of the Police, was present at the
trial as the respondent party. The latter asked the court to give him
two days for preparing return explanations. However, as a five-day
term is defined by the Code of the Civil Procedure for similar cases,
which expires on December 4, the court sitting was postponed until
December 4.

It should be mentioned that on the occasion of the fact that Aram
Karapetian has turned to court, an explanation has been put on the
website of the police beforehand, according to which Aram Karapetian
has not been given a certificate on having permanently lived in the
Republic of Armenia for the past ten years as "according to the data
of the RA Police, he was not a permanent resident of the Republic
of Armenia between 1997-2002, since January 13, 1997 he has been
registered in the apartment 342, building 15, Vernandski avenue,
city Moscow, Russian Federation." According to his application,
Aram Karapetian was struck off the register of the above-mentioned
address on May 17, 2005.