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Gagik Jhangirian: The Main Crisis In Armenia Is The Crisis Of Justic

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  • Gagik Jhangirian: The Main Crisis In Armenia Is The Crisis Of Justic

    GAGIK JHANGIRIAN: THE MAIN CRISIS IN ARMENIA IS THE CRISIS OF JUSTICE AND ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE

    Noyan Tapan
    March 20, 2009

    YEREVAN, MARCH 20, NOYAN TAPAN. The court of first instance of
    Yerevan's Kentron and Nork-Marash communities presided over by judge
    Zhora Vardanian will publish the court act on the case against the
    former deputy prosecutor general of Armenia Gagik Jhangirian on
    March 23.

    At the March 18 court sitting, Gagik Jhangirian, who is charged with
    "committing violence (not dangerous to life or health) against a
    representative of authorities", made a defence speech, which, in his
    opinion, was an accusatory speech. He underlined that he does not
    need to make a defence speech as he is unfairly accused of a crime
    that he did not commit, whereas those who committed an "abortive
    murder provocation" against him and his brother Vardan Jhangirian in
    Argavand highway near Yerevan on February 23, 2008, have not been held
    accountable so far. Gagik Jhangirian considered the case initiated
    against him as "political by its content and false criminal by its
    form," noting that the direct reason for that was his speech at an
    opposition meeting. He explained that for that speech, the next day
    the Armenian president relieved him of his post, illegally deprived
    him of his prosecutor's rank and instructed to liquidate him (which
    resulted in failure). For that reason the "murder provocation" turned
    into criminal prosecution of not only Gagik Jhangirian, but also his
    brother. G. Jhangirian stressed that by opening a case against him
    and illegally depriving him of freedom, the authorities also aimed
    to warn, by his exapmle, all the officials and state servants who
    sympathize with the opposition.

    A considerable part of the defence-accusatory speech was dedicated
    to, as G. Jhangirian put it, the "bullying, illegalities and
    permissiveness" of the pre-election, election and postelection period
    of 2008. In particular, analyzing the March 1-2 events, G. Jhangirian
    said that the people did not hold any event in violation of the
    Constitution and laws, the people just resorted to self-defence,
    while the actions of the authorities were "full-value military actions
    against their own people". By official data, these actions left 10
    people dead, whereas the real number, according to G. Jhangirian,
    is not known so far. In his opinion, the number of those wounded
    was also much greater, but these persons did not apply to medical
    institutions - for fear of requital.

    According to G. Jhangirian, although the former Armenian president
    Robert Kocharian declared a state of emergency in Yerevan on March
    1, in reality it was a martial law regime with the involvement of
    sub-units of the armed forces, which is envisaged by the Constitution
    only in case of an armed attack, its threat or during a war.

    "Who and how usurped power in violation of the Constitution and
    law?" G. Jhangirian asked, expressing conviction that the pre-election
    illegalities, the elections held with rigging, the postelection
    political persecutions and requital will get "flesh and blood" in
    the indictment of a future case. In his words, the main crisis in
    Armenia is the crisis of justice and administration of justice.

    G. Jhangirian demanded that the court "acquit him without any
    precondition".

    His defence lawyer Lusine Sahakian said at the court sitting
    that the transfer of G. Jhangirian from Vardashen penitentiary to
    Yerevan-Kentron penitentiary was illegal, and she demanded that he be
    moved back to Vardashen. She expressed concern that G. Jhangirian had
    no opportunity to personally carry his things, including voluminous
    correspondence, due to which other persons received the opportunity
    to read G. Jhangirian's complaint to the European Court. The principle
    of secrecy was violated in this way.
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