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COURTS AMBUSHING

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Recently the law-enforcement bodies use their smart as much as possible in order that advocates might not be able to carry out their professional duties before Courts if need be .

As a result of such strategy, without participation of advocates, judges of Yerevan’ Courts hastily judged, reached verdicts over scores of Armenian citizens and instituted administrative proceedings against them. The only crime of them was that they trusted Armenian Constitution and using their right took part in peaceful meetings.

Seeing Courts’ resoluteness to hold some sessions secretly, the members of International Union of Armenian Advocates as well decided to change their manner of working . They set duty in the First Instance Court of Kentron, Nork-Marash Communes in order that they are able to any time take part in the sessions over those arrested after meetings.

The advocates made a decision to be on duty in that Court namely because meetings take place in the centre of Yerevan so the arrested ones are taken to Kentron Commune Court.

The advocates decided to work in Courts in turn as they understood they waste their time. Getting information about an arrested person, they appeal to various instances.

“When we go to IA Departments, we are told the arrested one is in Court. When we go to Court, they say he or she is in IA Departments. While the squabble is over, a Court verdict over the arrested one for 15-day-long administrative amenability is reached at” , Tigran Ter-Esayan, Chairman of International Union for Armenian Advocates.

Union advocates have another problem, too. Some of those called to answer are invalids of second and third degrees. Now attempts are made to apply to Prosecutor’s Office to appeal against their verdict. But First Instance Courts hamper the advocates’ work, as problems are caused regarding document allocation.

Advocates don’t either understand what the principle judges are guided by when reaching verdicts is. The point is that various administrative amenability are used towards more than 100 arrested people, having committed the same “crime” – from 500 drams to 15-day-long imprisonment.