GAGIK JHANGIRIAN: THE REGIME HAS A MAXIMUM OF 25 DAYS TO RELEASE POLITICAL PRISONERS
NOYAN TAPAN
Dec 18, 2008
YEREVAN
Judge Zhora Vardanian presiding over the December 18 court sitting on
the case against Gagik Jhangirian, former deputy prosecutor general
of Armenia, rejected the defence’s petition for his self-challenge
and went to the consultation room to make a decision about the next
petition for his self-challenge. This decision will be made public
at the court sitting on December 22. The court did not examine either
the defence’s petition on inadmissibility of recognizing the military
jacket as material evidence as it was confiscated with gross judicial
violations and there are no words "Spetsnaz" written on its back as
it was testified by a policeman. According to the presiding judge,
the court will express an opinion about the petition in its sentence.
The defence complains that the court has a preconcieved opinion
about the case, acts on the prosecution’s side, does not protect
the interests of the law and uses double standards. The defence
believes that the court is not unbiased and objective and it is
evident, in particular, from the presiding judge’s statements that
the case against G. Jhangirian is not one of the March 1 cases: it
is clear even to a child that G. Jhangirian is persecuted for his
political views. "You also took part in illegalities by permitting
eavesdropping at the presidential election on February 19," the
defence lawyer Lusine Sahakian said. According to the defence, the
decision of the presiding judge not to recognize G. Jjangirian as a
victim is also biased, even though the judge admitted the fact of
G. Jhangirian’s being subjected to beating: "it is not known who
beat him". G. Jhangirian in his tirn said that the conduct of the
court proves once againt that his case is not criminal but it is a
political requital. "From the case of political hostages, only the
rod of Myasnik Malkhasian will remain, the rest is nothing," he said,
hinting at "the case of the seven". "The regime has a maximum of 25
days to release the political prisoners, we have waited for 10 months
and will wait for another 10," G. Jhangirian added.