Journalist fined
The Kentron and Nork-Marash first instance court ruled a 350,000 dram fine for "Chorort Ishkhanutyun" journalist Gohar Veziryan.
The journalist was charged by the 3rd section of Article 343 of the Criminal Code for showing disrespect towards the court. The incident took place during the trial of "Republic" political party council member Smbat Ayvazyan's trial on August 6, 2008. According to the case, Gohar Veziryan had called judge Gagik Avetisyan "schizophrenic", "submissive" and offended the bailiffs.
The eyewitnesses were the bailiffs themselves who, as advocate Hovik Arsenyan said in his statement, had written the same testimonies.
Based on the shorthand recordings, prosecutor Levon Charkhifalakyan claimed that Gohar Veziryan had said those profane words. However, it wasn't clear whether it was her voice or not during the listening.
The prosecutor demanded the court to recognize the journalist as guilty and fine her by 400 times her salary.
In his statement, advocate Arsenyan demanded the court to remove the crime from his defendant, quash the case and lift the guilt. According to Arsenyan, Gohar Veziryan did not use profanity in court, but in her article that was printed the following day. The journalist even tried to read the article during her statement and petition the court to examine it as evidence.
But judge Gagik Poghosyan denied the petition. However, the journalist gave the paper to the prosecutor and told him to carefully consider it before making allegations.
Judge Poghosyan offered her to make her final statement, but Gohar Veziryan refused, saying that she will not make a public announcement only in court.
"You will read my final statement in the paper tomorrow, especially since I said too much in court," said the journalist.
At the end of the trial Gohar Veziryan also announced that she expected nothing from the Armenian judicial system, but she was going to go to all instances and even take the case to the European Court.
