Court sitting on "case of seven" again postponed

YERE VAN, JANUARY 9, NOYAN TAPAN. The trial on the "case of the seven"
continued on January 9 at Yerevan Shengavit community’s general
jurisdiction court. Like at the previous sittings, on January 9 also
the seven defendants did not stand up when judge Mnatsakan Martirosian
entered the sitting hall. The judge demanded that they stand up and
explained the judicial rules, according to which defendants are obliged
to respect the court and to stand up.

In response to it former RA Foreign Minister, defendant Alexander
Arzumanian stated from his seat that not standing up is their right and
is part of freedom of expression. He blamed the court for violating the
decisions made by it. "On the very first day of the trial you decided
that the journalists are to cover the sitting at the court, but you
violated that decision several days later. Besides, some persons sit at
the hall instead of our relatives, who have been brought specially for
organizing provocations," A. Arzumanian said. He called judge M.
Martirosian for announcing withdrawal.

The judge said that the sitting is open-door and everybody willing can
be present at it. Touching upon the problem of journalists, M.
Martirosian stated that an individual room with modern equipment is
allotted to them, which is convenient for working. However, it should
be mentioned that the sound heard through monitors is low-quality, and
journalists have expressed their discontent to the Ombudsman in that
connection.

The judge announced 30 minutes’ break calling the defendants for
standing up when he enters for the second time. However in an hour when
the sitting was resumed the defendants not only kept sitting, but also
started singing military-patriotic songs. With the motivation of
treating the court with disregard M. Martirosian ordered to send away
the defendants from the hall and postponed the court sitting until
January 13.