NGOs in defense of HAK activists
Declaration
On 20 July 2012, the court of general jurisdiction of Kentron and Nork-Marash districts of Yerevan violated the law and sentenced Armenian National Congress (HAK) youth activists Tigran Arakelyan (6 years), Artak Karapetyan (3 years), David Kiramijyan and Sargis Gevorgyan (each 2 years) to jail in accordance with Article 316 (resistance to state representative through force or threat of violence) and Article 258 (hooliganism) of the RA
Criminal Code.
The investigation into the case, which launched on August 9, 2011, and during which imprisonment had been applied as a measure of restraint for Tigran Arakelyan, was held with several violations of the law, including
-the charge against the youth was based on the testimonies of police officers engaged in the case as victims and eyewitnesses,
-several eyewitnesses could have provided reliable and objective testimonies, but they weren't called to interrogations,
-the HAK activists were deprived of the right to have an attorney at the moment of apprehension and at the moment of being arrested as suspects,
-the protocols regarding the apprehension and the arrest as suspects were prepared in the absence of lawyers,
-lawyer Vahe Hovsepyan had presented a communiqué to the RA Prosecutor General to impede the process and apply force, but the instigation of a criminal case based on that communiqué was denied,
-several people who witnessed the incident have been interrogated as eyewitnesses through a mediation presented by the defendant during the preliminary investigation, but those people weren't included in the list for calling people to the trial,
-during the preliminary investigation, there was pressure on the eyewitnesses who had been transferred to the Kentron police division to give testimonies as eyewitnesses. In addition to all this, what is troubling is the fact that the court has announced verdicts that don't even envisage imprisonment for other heavier cases.
Thus, we view the verdict itself and the sanctions as application of discriminatory justice.
Such a verdict against the youth opposition members goes to show once again that the violence and political persecutions following the 2008 presidential elections not only continue, but have better quality on the threshold of the upcoming presidential elections. On the one hand, we can view this as an attempt to create an atmosphere of fear among the society on the threshold of the upcoming presidential elections, and on the other hand, we can view it as an instruction to act by the repressive juridical-contractual system which is the main administrative resource.
We the undersigned representatives of law-defense organizations strictly condemn the unjust verdict and demand that the Armenian authorities
-terminate the criminal persecution against Tigran Arakelyan, Artak Karapetyan, David Kiramijyan and Sargis Gevorgyan,
-put an end to the political persecutions and violence,
-reject the defective practice of discriminatory procedures and intentional change of justice.
We call on international law-defense organizations to focus their attention on this case and not spare any efforts to put an end to the persecutions against the youth activists and release Tigran Arakelyan as soon as possible.
"Youth for Democracy", President Isabella Sargsyan
Helsinki Citizens' Assembly Armenian Committee, President
Natalya Martirosyan
Center for Rights and Freedom, President Vardan Harutyunyan
Asbarez Club of Journalists, President Levon Barseghyan
"Cooperation for Democracy", President Stepan Danielyan
Helsinki Citizens Assembly Vanadzor Office, President Artur Sakunts
Transparency International Anti-Corruption Center, CEO Varujan Hoktanyan
