VERDICT IS ALREADY PREDETERMINED

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07:19 pm | May 26, 2009

Politics

"This trial against the newspaper is only aimed at silencing the
newspaper and declaring the publisher bankrupt."

"Why is judge Arayik Melkumyan turning me into a tool for wicked
forces? My petition is a chance for you to free yourselves from
this horrible regime," said advocate Tigran Atanesyan during today’s
hearing on the file against "Haykakan Zhamanak" newspaper.

Atanesyan filed a challenge petition today and according to him,
the trial against the newspaper is aimed at shutting the newspaper
down and declaring the publisher bankrupt.

"We knew that this was the scenario for the trial. The verdict is
already predetermined and it completely meets the demands of the
appeal. That verdict is going to become a precedent and a serious
tool for the regime to demolish the free press. I declare that nobody
will be able to silence free speech," declared advocate Atanesyan
adding that he has no hopes with the "assassin judges and doesn’t
have any illusions." Judge Melkumyan applied a sanction against the
advocate for this and a number of other expressions stated in the
challenge petition.

The trial against the newspaper began after the February 6 publication
about Robert Kocharyan’s younger son Levon according to which Levon
Kocharyan was arrested in Dubai for getting drunk and misbehaving. The
Kocharyans demand the newspaper edition to deny the information and
compensate the 16 million 120 thousand drams in damages. The judge
will announce the verdict on June 5 at 5 p.m.