03 February 2009, 21:00
Leader of "Gnchak" Party: Armenian authorities have no proofs on "Case of Seven"
Liudmila Sarkisyan, Chair of the "Gnchak" Social-Democratic Party, asserts that the authorities of Armenia have no proofs on the "Case of Seven", therefore, the litigation is under risk to turn into a mere farce.
She said in her interview to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that there are strong doubts that Armenian authorities will release the political prisoners before the deadline fixed in the PACE Resolution, that is before this April. Ms Sarkisyan has expressed her regret of the fact that in the current situation the political prisoners themselves and their health have escaped the PACE's attention. Meanwhile, as the "Gnchak" leader has emphasized, these issues are rather disturbing; first of all, it concerns MPs Sasun Mikaelyan, Akop Akopyan and Myasnik Malkhasyan.
Ovik Arsenyan, advocate of Sasun Mikaelyan, one of the "Case of Seven" figurants, told journalists that the main idea of the ruling administration, which had undertaken to amend Articles 225 and 300 of the Criminal Code, was not to demonstrate their political will, as some people try to present, but to make amendments in order to prevent in the further any criminal prosecution of those in power.
"Until now, there are no proofs that the seven defendants have committed the imputed crimes," Ovik Arsenyan has stated.
In the opinion of Zarui Postnadzhan, MP from the "Heritage" faction and advocate of the assignees of Tigran Khachatryan, who perished in March 1 events, the court is now in deadlock, not knowing what to do. Accordingly, it seeks some way out, trying to win time by making statements about defendants' disrespect of the court.
Author: Lilit Ovanisyan Source: CK correspondent
