"I SHALL NEVER FLEE MY COUNTRY"

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07:44 pm | April 08, 2009

Politics

The trial of Armenia’s ex foreign minister Alexander Arzumanyan and
Suren Sirunyan lasted about 4.5 hours.

"I am a guarantee myself. My name and my biography can serve as
a guarantee. I am one of the constructors of this country. I am
well known in this city. Every dog knows me. I was arrested for
my political stance and activity and I have nowhere to flee," said
detainee Alexander Arzumanyan in support of Lawyer Liparit Simonyan’s
motion. The lawyer motioned the court to review Arzumanyan’s restraint
for the latter has been in custody for a year and a half but his
guilt hasn’t been proved.

According to the legislation, during the pre-trial investigation a
person cannot be kept under arrest more than a year.

Arzumanyan said he is not going to flee the country and will attend
all court sederunts.

"Prosecutor Piloyan cannot even dream of my flight. If the charges
brought against me were real, my crime would have been proved. We
won a war in a year and a half and liberated seven territories,"
said Alexander Arzumanyan.

The lawyer later motioned to let out his client on bail but the
motion was turned down. Before that Judge Mnatsakan Martirosyan
had already rejected the lawyer’s petition to terminate prosecution
against Arzumanyan.

Arzumanyan says he has already lodged a complaint with the European
Court about his unlawful custody and is certain to win.

"Can you imagine the torrent of verdicts to be poured on the Republic
of Armenia because of your actus reus? As a RoA citizen I feel deeply
offended that I cannot seek justice in my country and have to appeal
to international instances.

In her addressing speech Suren Sirunyan’s Lawyer, Varduhy Elbakyan
noted that her client had been arrested after voicing support for
Armenia’s first President Levon Ter-Petrosyan and having telephone
talks with Alexander Arzumanyan on March 1, 2008. Varduhy Elbakyan
motioned that the court stop prosecution against Suren Sirunyan.

Judge Martirosyan didn’t even consider the motion saying it was not
filed in due time.

The next trial is scheduled for April 9.