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Do prosecutors follow advocates?
[05:47 pm] 11 March, 2009
Defendant Grigor Voskerchyan got a warning for demonstrating contempt
of court during today’s trial of the `case against seven’. Judge
Mnatsakan Martirosyan announced that Voskerchyan’s lawyer Stepan
Voskanyan also shows disrespect for court with his nonattendance to
the court hearing already for a second day.
The court will apply to the Chamber of Advocates to impose sanctions
on Stepan Voskanyan. Under the acting law a sanction can be imposed on
a lawyer after three flippant absences.
Note that Stepan Voskanyan had informed the judge about his departure
to Akhaltskha where he was going to attend a local trial.
Anyway, the Judge scheduled the next hearing on March 13 knowing that
the lawyer won’t be able to return to Armenia by then.
Defendant Hakob Hakobyan’s lawyer, Melania Arustamyan, says on March
9, immediately after the court hearing, Stepan Voskanyan had informed
Judge Mnatskan Martirosyan of his departure from March 10 to March
13. `The judge’s decision is not reasonable,’ says Melania Arustamyan.
Mrs. Arustamyan is convinced that Stepan Voskanyan has violated no law
on advocate’s behaviour.
`They follow us at every step and know everything about our personal
lives. It is too unpleasant. Why should an ordinary prosecutor know
when Voskanyan crossed the border?’ says Mrs. Arustamyan in reply to
Prosecutor Piloyan’s statement that Voskanyan didn’t do to Georgia
yesterday, he crossed the border at 7.30 today morning.
The court hearing on the case of seven will continue tomorrow.