ARMENIAN PROSECUTORS DROP MOST CHARGES IN OPPOSITION TRIAL

Public Television of Armenia
April 1 2009

The trial in the case of seven [seven oppositionists charged after 1
March 2008 riots in Yerevan] continued today at the Court of General
Jurisdiction in [Yerevan’s] Kentron and Nork-Marash districts. The
prosecutors, represented by Prosecutor Koryun Piloyan, changed the
charges due to amendments made to articles 225 and 300 of the Criminal
Code. Piloyan said that due to these amendments, the prosecutors
dropped several charges. In particular, charges under Article 300
(usurpation of power) were dropped in full, and only the [charges
under the] part of Article 225 that relates to organizing mass unrest
was sustained. The judge announced a two-hour recess following the
prosecutor’s motion. He then announced his decision, according to
which the cases of the defendants – except for Aleksandr Arzumanyan
and Suren Sirunyan – will be referred to other courts for trial.