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    Categories: 2021

People getting to understand actual purpose of political persecution, Kocharyan’s lawyer says

Panorama, Armenia
Feb 8 2021

Second Armenian President Robert Kocharyan’s lawyer, Hayk Alumyan, again denounced the criminal case against the former president as “political persecution”.

“From the very beginning it was clear to those having insight into the case that political persecution was being carried out,” Alumyan told a news conference on Monday, referring to the criminal case into the alleged overthrow of the constitutional order in 2008 involving Kocharyan and three other former top officials.

He underlined that simply there were differing views on the goals pursued by those who ordered the persecution.

"Now it has become clear to many; the people are getting to understand the actual purpose and target of this political persecution,” Alumyan said.

He recalled that presiding judge Anna Danibekyan interrupted the speech of former Deputy Prime Minister Armen Gevorgyan, which contained political assessments, and did not allow him to proceed with it at a court hearing in the case. Alumyan noted that, meanwhile, the reality is different from what the court tries to present.

He believes there will be more cases during the next court hearings when the defense lawyers will try to substantiate their claims on the political persecution against their clients, while the judge will not allow them to present their arguments under the pretext that political statements must not be made in court, whereas the events of March 1 are political and the indictment presents political processes.

Emil Lazarian: “I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose wars have all been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled, literature is unread, music is unheard, and prayers are no more answered. Go ahead, destroy Armenia . See if you can do it. Send them into the desert without bread or water. Burn their homes and churches. Then see if they will not laugh, sing and pray again. For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.” - WS