Lawyer: The search in the office of Judge David Grigoryan was carried out without his consent, and without the consent of the SJC, which is a gross violation of law

Arminfo, Armenia
July 26 2019
Ani Mshetsyan

ArmInfo. As part of the case under  investigation by the SIS, the case on the falsification of documents  by judge David Grigoryan, a search was conducted in his office  without his knowledge, meanwhile, according to the requirements of  the law, at least one day before the search, he should be notified by  the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC). On  July 26 at a press  conference, Georgi Melikyan, lawyer of judge David Grigoryan said.

He noted that on July 17, without knowing Grigoryan, investigator of  the SIS Khoren Mezhlumyan, came to his office and carried out  investigative actions in the judge's office, while forbidding the  judge to participate in them. The investigator confiscated the  computer of the judge and his assistants, after which he sealed the  door of Grogoryan's office. The lawyer said that sealing the office  without a relevant court decision is against the law and this action  has serious legal consequences.

"Not only was the door of Grigorian's office sealed without a  corresponding court decision, it was outrageous to have the policeman  put at the door, who did not allow the judge to enter his own office,  this is outrageous," Melikyan said. The lawyer noted that he and his  client demanded that the investigator present the relevant court  decision to them, however, the investigator could not present it. And  after all this, he searched the judge's office. "The police officer  demanded that the judge leave, however, we began to protest,  stressing that the judge's key to the office was, and if the  investigator intends to conduct a search in violation of the law, we  will not give them the key. After long telephone conversations, the  investigator finally resolved the judge participated in the search of  the office ", said Melikyan, stressing that by a court decision the  investigator had the right to search the office of the judge and his  assistant, however, he also searched the offices of the assistant and  the clerk, and illegally confiscated their flash drives. The lawyer  noted that in this case he and his defendant appealed to the  Prosecutor General's Office, demanding to clarify the actions taken.  Melikyan not only appealed against the decision to conduct a search,  but also challenged the legality of the search and confiscation of  computers. Moreover, the lawyer filed a complaint with the police  against the investigator, since the latter violated the judge's right  to the inviolability of housing. It should be noted that on July 17  officers of the Special Investigation Service of Armenia searched the  office of Judge David Grigoryan. "The search in Grigorian's office  was carried out within the framework of the criminal case  investigated by the Special Investigation Service," press secretary  of the Special Investigation Service of Armenia Marina Ohanjanyan  told ArmInfo. To recall, it was Judge David Grigoryan who earlier  made the decision to release former President Robert Kocharyan from  custody, on behalf of the former and current Presidents of Artsakh.  Later, Grigorian suspended the proceedings and referred him to the  Constitutional Court.