ENTRANCE TO COURT PROHIBITED TO MAJORITY OF DEFENDANTS’ RELATIVES AT OPEN-DOOR COURT SITTING ON "CASE OF SEVEN"
NOYAN TAPAN
Dec 23, 2008
YEREVAN
Over thirty policemen and sixty police special forces in red berets
some hours before the start of the December 23 court sitting on the
"case of the seven" had surrounded the building of Shengavit general
jurisdiction court. At the fixed court sitting hour hundreds of
opposition activists and defendants’ relatives had gathered in the
court yard and tried to enter the building. However the policemen
prohibited them even to come up to the court stating that the
court hall is already crowded. The sister of one of the defendants,
former Foreign Minister Alexander Arzumanian said in her interview to
journalists that nearly 90% people sitting in the hall are policemen or
national security representatives in civil clothes. While, according
to her, defendants’ relatives are not permitted to be present at the
sitting announced open-door in advance.
After an argument between the policemen and those gathered lasting
nearly half an hour RA Ombudsman Armen Haroutiunian left the court
building, and with his mediation the policemen permitted some relatives
of defendants to enter the court building.
Those gathered waited in the court yard until the sitting
finished. They were constantly voicing "Struggle, struggle till the
end!," "Freedom to political prisoners!," "Release our heroes." When
the defendants were brought out from the court back entrance by cars
the demonstrants greeted and saw them off with applause.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
