HIGH-PROFILE TRIAL RECESSED TILL APRIL 1

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03:09 pm | March 23, 2009

Politics

Armenia’s high-profile trial of the "case of seven" taking place at
the Court of General Jurisdiction of Yerevan’s Kentron and Nork-Marash
districts has been recessed till April 1.

Taking into account the recent amendments to Articles 225 and 300 of
the Criminal Code, Prosecutor Koryun Piloyan motioned that the court
should give the prosecution time to review the modifications as they
impact on the ongoing trial.

Under the disputed amendments the indictments against the seven
defendants are to be lifted. The political prisoners advised the
court to study the amendments thoroughly and considered their arrest
illegal and senseless.

"Dismiss the case and review the restraint since the articles under
which we are charged no longer exist. According to the statutes now in
force, I no longer see any grounds for holding us any longer. You may
later study the amendments and sue us if you find any indictments,"
demanded defendant Alexander Arzumanyan.

The lawyers attempted to oppose the prosecutor’s motion but the judge
in the case, Mnatsakan Martirosyan disregarded their complaint.

Mnatsakan Martirosyan upheld Koryun Piloyan’s petition and adjourned
the court sitting till April 1, at 12.00.

Defendants Alexander Arzumanyan, Myasnik Malkhasyan, Sasun Mikayelyan,
Hakob Hakobyan and Suren Sirounyan were present at today’s trial. The
court sanction against Grigor Voskerchyan ends tomorrow.

Note that the amendments were ratified by Serzh Sargsyan but haven’t
been put into effect.