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LAWYERS: VERDICTS TO TAKE FOUNDING PARLIAMENT MEMBERS INTO CUSTODY TO BE CONTESTED AT ECHR
POLITICS | 16.04.15 | 10:09
By GAYANE MKRTCHYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter
RELATED NEWS
Founding Parliament's "Declaration": Embattled group seeks to establish
"New State"
Lawyers of the five arrested members of the radical opposition Founding
Parliament group believe their clients are being subjected to political
persecution. They say the legal grounds for their detentions and
subsequent arrests of the activists are too poor.
Speaking to media on Wednesday, the lawyers representing Jirair
Sefilian and other prominent members of the group seeking regime
change in Armenia announced their intention to appeal the court
decisions regarding the custody of their clients at the European
Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg.
The Founding Parliament activists, including the group's chairman
Garegin Chukaszyan, Sefilian and others, were detained on April 7 and
were later charged with attempting to organize "mass disturbances"
at an April 24 rally. All were taken into two-month custody pending
trial. Another Founding Parliament activist was charged with keeping
arms and ammunition, but was released on bail pending trial.
Lawyer Lusine Hakobyan reminded that Sefilian has been a target of the
authorities for already 10 years. In 2006, he was accused of calling
for a violent overthrow of the constitutional order and for illegal
possession of weapons. Today, the lawyer reminds, there is a European
Court judgment in the case, by which the State has paid 6,000 euros
(about $6,400) to Sefilian in compensation for the wrong decision.
"I think the authorities will drop these charges as well. If they
don't, we will have another judgment against the Republic of Armenia,
and both the State and we, the taxpayers, will bear the negative
impact," she said.
Lawyer Ara Zakarian stressed that the items confiscated from the homes
of the accused are not enough grounds for their detentions and arrests.
"The law-enforcement bodies have confiscated wooden and metal rods,
knives, tasers and other similar items. Anyone could keep such items
at home," he said. "There is no logic between finding all these things
and saying that preparations have been made for mass disturbances."
After the investigation body shown the confiscated items on television,
a number of political and civil activists have posted videos on social
media, presenting similar numerous items at their homes.
"If the investigating committee finds that a person who has such
items at home is preparing riots, then we will have to arrest several
million people," political analyst Daniel Ioannisyan told RFE/RL's
Armenian Service.
The lawyers also reminded that the Yerevan municipality allowed the
opposition group to hold its April 24 rally in the territory adjacent
to the Erebuni Museum on the outskirts of Yerevan. Meanwhile, they
said, if the authorities had information about "mass disturbances"
being prepared, they would not have approved that rally.
The lawyers also commented on the statement by Ombudsman Karen
Andreasyan, criticizing him for not presenting a legal assessment.
"The Ombudsman's assessment is not only insufficient, but it also
contains false information," Lusine Hakobyan suggested.
The lawyers said it was difficult to fight in a "politically motivated
case" with legal mechanisms, but stressed that they would use up all
national procedures in order to take the case to the European court
in Strasbourg.
http://armenianow.com/news/politics/62409/armenia_founding_parliament_lawyers_sefilian_arres ts
POLITICS | 16.04.15 | 10:09
By GAYANE MKRTCHYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter
RELATED NEWS
Founding Parliament's "Declaration": Embattled group seeks to establish
"New State"
Lawyers of the five arrested members of the radical opposition Founding
Parliament group believe their clients are being subjected to political
persecution. They say the legal grounds for their detentions and
subsequent arrests of the activists are too poor.
Speaking to media on Wednesday, the lawyers representing Jirair
Sefilian and other prominent members of the group seeking regime
change in Armenia announced their intention to appeal the court
decisions regarding the custody of their clients at the European
Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg.
The Founding Parliament activists, including the group's chairman
Garegin Chukaszyan, Sefilian and others, were detained on April 7 and
were later charged with attempting to organize "mass disturbances"
at an April 24 rally. All were taken into two-month custody pending
trial. Another Founding Parliament activist was charged with keeping
arms and ammunition, but was released on bail pending trial.
Lawyer Lusine Hakobyan reminded that Sefilian has been a target of the
authorities for already 10 years. In 2006, he was accused of calling
for a violent overthrow of the constitutional order and for illegal
possession of weapons. Today, the lawyer reminds, there is a European
Court judgment in the case, by which the State has paid 6,000 euros
(about $6,400) to Sefilian in compensation for the wrong decision.
"I think the authorities will drop these charges as well. If they
don't, we will have another judgment against the Republic of Armenia,
and both the State and we, the taxpayers, will bear the negative
impact," she said.
Lawyer Ara Zakarian stressed that the items confiscated from the homes
of the accused are not enough grounds for their detentions and arrests.
"The law-enforcement bodies have confiscated wooden and metal rods,
knives, tasers and other similar items. Anyone could keep such items
at home," he said. "There is no logic between finding all these things
and saying that preparations have been made for mass disturbances."
After the investigation body shown the confiscated items on television,
a number of political and civil activists have posted videos on social
media, presenting similar numerous items at their homes.
"If the investigating committee finds that a person who has such
items at home is preparing riots, then we will have to arrest several
million people," political analyst Daniel Ioannisyan told RFE/RL's
Armenian Service.
The lawyers also reminded that the Yerevan municipality allowed the
opposition group to hold its April 24 rally in the territory adjacent
to the Erebuni Museum on the outskirts of Yerevan. Meanwhile, they
said, if the authorities had information about "mass disturbances"
being prepared, they would not have approved that rally.
The lawyers also commented on the statement by Ombudsman Karen
Andreasyan, criticizing him for not presenting a legal assessment.
"The Ombudsman's assessment is not only insufficient, but it also
contains false information," Lusine Hakobyan suggested.
The lawyers said it was difficult to fight in a "politically motivated
case" with legal mechanisms, but stressed that they would use up all
national procedures in order to take the case to the European court
in Strasbourg.
http://armenianow.com/news/politics/62409/armenia_founding_parliament_lawyers_sefilian_arres ts