Interfax, Russia
March 13 2009

Trial of seven Armenian opposition activists to proceed in their
absence

YEREVAN March 13

Judge Mnatsakan Martirosian ordered the last defendant out of the
courtroom at the so-called ‘trial of the seven’, at which opposition
activists are being tried for instigation of mass disorder in Yerevan,
Armenia.

Grigor Voskerchian was ordered out of the courtroom "for contempt of
court" for ten days, an Interfax correspondent reported.

The judge had ordered five defendants in the case out of the courtroom
for the same reason at a March 9 court session.

The last defendant, Shant Arutyunian, has to undergo a psychiatric
examination, and his criminal prosecution has been suspended.

The defense team filed several motions on Friday to challenge the
secretary and a number of counsels for the prosecution. The motion was
turned down.

The ‘trial of the seven’ was started in December 2008. Former Armenian
Foreign Minister Alexander Arzumanian, parliamentarians Myasnik
Malkhasian, Sasun Mikaelian, and Akop Akopian, and also three
opposition activists have been charged with instigating mass disorder
in Yerevan on March 1, 2008, an attempt to seize power, violence
against government officials, and acquisition, storage, and carrying
of weapons, munitions, and explosives.

The Armenian opposition led by former President Levon Ter-Petrosian
refused to recognize the official results of the February 19
presidential elections and organized mass protests, which grew into
clashes with police on March 1, in which ten people were killed and
over 250 injured.

va nb