CHIEF PROSECUTOR SLAMS ARMENIAN LAWYERS
Anush Martirosian
Armenialiberty.org
http://www.azatuty un.am/content/article/1787458.html
July 28 2009
Prosecutor-General Aghvan Hovsepian has lashed out at Armenian defense
attorneys, saying that many of them do not seek justice and behave with
"impudence" in court to make a name for themselves. The harsh criticism
drew an angry rebuttal from the head of Armenia’s bar association.
"Sometimes lawyers’ defense is aimed at not defending their client but
forming their own image," Hovsepian said in a speech late on Monday.
"I would like to see quality lawyers and have worthy rivals [of
prosecutors] in Armenia. Not people who try to show just how good
they are by disrespecting the court," he added.
The powerful prosecutor appeared to single out defense lawyers in the
high-profile trials of dozens of opposition members and supporters that
were arrested following last year’s disputed presidential election. At
least four of those lawyers walked out of courts in protest against
what they see illegal decisions taken by judges against their
clients. They were subsequently charged with contempt of court and
now face a ban on legal practice and up to three years’ imprisonment.
Armenia — Ruben Sahakian, chairman of the Armenian Chamber of
Advocates.Ruben Sahakian, a veteran lawyer heading the Armenian
Chamber Of Advocates, countered on Tuesday that his colleagues’
defiant statements and actions were justified because of what he sees
as unprecedented violations of due process. "I witnessed a cynical,
savage and hooligan behavior and impudent violations of law on the
part of both judges and prosecutors," he told RFE/RL.
Sahakian claimed that Armenia’s security apparatus and judiciary have
grown "mired in violations." "Mr. Prosecutor-General, let us jointly
analyze those violations in the presence of media representatives,"
he said, challenging Hovsepian.
Armenian judges rarely make decisions going against the will of the
government and prosecutors, and this has been particularly true for
their handling of the controversial criminal cases against jailed
oppositionists. Many of them were given prison sentences solely on
the basis of police testimony, a practice strongly condemned by local
and international human rights organizations.
Armenian courts have also ignored torture allegations made by some
witnesses in the politically charged trials. Those witnesses claimed
to have been forced to falsely incriminate oppositionists and retracted
their pre-trial testimony in the court.