Garegin Margaryan, a public defender involved in the case of 14 members of the Sasna Dzrer (Daredevils of Sassoun) group, announced in the courtroom that he refuses to defend the interests of Smbat Barseghyan and Areg Kyureghyan.

“I cannot defend them without their agreement. I obey your decision and I remain in the courtroom but I refuse to defend the two men because I also obey the decision of the Public Defender’s Office.” Margaryan said.

Garegin Margaryan did not leave the courtroom throughout the hearing. Lawyer Lusine Sahakyan says a public defender is an attorney appointed to represent the defendant’s interests; otherwise, his presence in the courtroom is incomprehensible.

“If a defender is appointed by the state, he is obliged to defend the rights of a defendant in due order. If he fails to perform his duties properly then the responsibility lies on the state,” she said.

In reply to journalists’ question whether he understood that his presence in the courtroom might endanger defendants’ right to defense, Margaryan said he did.

“If it is so, let the court think of a way out. I am here [in the courtroom] because there is a court decision which obliges me to stay here,” he said.

Lusine Sahakyan says with his action Garegin Margaryan violates the provisions of the Code of Conduct for lawyers. “A lawyer cannot abide by all court decisions,” she said.

“He was expected to leave the hall. But if he stays as a public defender, then he is supposed to carry out his obligations and defend the interests of defendants,” Lusine Sahakyan said.