DEFENCE GROUP ON "CASE OF THE SEVEN" SENDS LETTER TO CE COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS

Noyan Tapan

Dec 12, 2008

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 12, NOYAN TAPAN. The defence group on the "case
of the seven" has sent a letter-reference to the Council of Europe
Commissioner for Human Rights Thomas Hammarberg. The letter "mainly
indicates those shortcomings and violations, which which the indictment
was prepared", Radio Liberty was informed by Arman Khachatrian,
coordinator of the Service for Legal Assistance to Political Prisoners.

"The letter-reference also addresses the fact that Judge Martirosian
has fixed a 9-day period for the trial," he added. In the words of
A. Khachatrian, the indictment was signed by the chief prosecutor of
the prosecutor general’s office Koryun Piloyan, whereas, according
to the defence group, the criminal case does not have "any document
which would allow K. Piloyan to approve the indictment". The authors
of the letter point out that the indictment contains no evidence that
would form a basis for the case to be sent to court.

To recap, the seven persons accused of organizing mass disorder
accompanied by killings are the National Assembly deputies Sasun
Mikaelian, Hakob Hakobian, Myasnik Malkhasian, the former foreign
minister of Armenia Alexander Arzumanian, as well as Suren Sirunian,
Shant Harutyunian and Grigor Voskerchian.