The proceeding of the case of 7 started yesterday, in 9 months and 19 days after March 1. This case is under the consideration of Shengavit community court of general jurisdiction and the judge is Mnatsakan Martirosyan. The case involves political prisoners, namely the first president Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s campaign manager Alexan Arzumanyan, MP Myasnik Malkhasyan, Sasun Mikayelyan, Hakob Hakobyan, Shant Harutyunyan, and representatives of ANM Grigor Voskerchyan and Suren Surenyan. The mentioned 7 political prisoners are charged under Articles 225 and 300 of the Criminal Code for “usurping state power through organizing mass disorders resulting in murders”. This is the case, concerning which EU commissioner Thomas Hammerberg said during his visit that he is not sure that there are sufficient grounds and supporting justifications to send the case to court. Also, the ombudsman of Armenia said that he would be attentive and would monitor the Case of 7 attentively as it was going to be crucial for the future of Armenia’s development. Three days ago the PACE monitoring commission approved Hammerberg’s suggestion “on the possibility of recognizing the mentioned citizens charged under this case as political prisoners.” In a word, this is the main case manipulated by the authorities as a result of the events of March 1 and it shows how poor the policies of the authorities are, thus this policy is like a balloon, which may explode at any time.
The court trial turned into a big demonstration. One hour before the beginning of the court session relatives and friends of the accused oppositionists gathered near the court building. There were also other people and citizens of Armenia, who were curious about the case. Only the relatives of the accused citizens, representatives and monitors of European and domestic institutions, and journalists were allowed to be present at the court session. Opposition leaders such as Stepan Demirchyan, Aram Sargsyan, Ararat Zurabyan and Armen Martirosyan were there as well. By the way, the latter was participating in the court session as injured party as he was stabbed by provocateurs on March 1. New Times party chairman Aram Karapetyan participated in the session as well. Albert Bazeyan tried to enter the court building too, but the people near the building slammed him and he left without entering the building.
The court session room was divided in two parts with a glass wall. The session took place on the other side of that glass wall and the 7 accused oppositionists, their lawyers, judge Mnatsakan Martirosyan and 6 accusers were sitting there. When the accused oppositionists entered the room, their loyalists and friends on the other side of the glass wall applauded. There were speakers in the room, due to which people could hear the process.
In the beginning the judge suggested to respect the memory of the victims of March 1, in answer to which one of the accused said, “You are killing people with your hands and then suggesting to commemorate.” Sh. Harutyunyan suggested to separate the case and handle his case separately. He announced that he had been struggling against Russia. He claimed that the court should also invite representatives of the Russian embassy. “On March 1 night people were going to the Russian embassy and quarreling with the embassy people, and one of the victims was shot and killed right there,” said Sh. Harutyunyan. He says that it is possible that he might be killed and shot right from the embassy building. “It doesn’t matter whether you are the judge or any other person because there is no justice here, what I see is payback. In order to hope for fair judgment I have to respect at least one judge, but I don’t respect anyone because it is a political order. It doesn’t matter who is sitting there, anyway the decision will be the same,” he said.
“One should be a wunderkind in order to take this case under consideration and read 12.000 pages of recycle paper within 10 days. We can’t read that case during three months, how could you do it during ten days? Now you are speaking of the law. Where is the law? Which is the law that lets you keep us hostages for ten months? I am here to ask whether to stay or no. If it is like sports and you are going to fight with me, I will kick you, and if not and the session will proceed in equal conditions but not what Piloyan says, I will be quiet,” said S. Sirunyan.
Based on the court process it is not hard to assume that the accused oppositionists have chosen the way of failing the trial version planned by the authorities. It is clear that since the report of the Monitoring Commission the authorities will do everything to show some positive changes till the end of January. Thus, it is logical that they want to finish the Case of 7 as soon as possible. Yesterday it became clear that the political prisoners will not let them achieve this goal. “You have imprisoned us through extreme violence, and we don’t care how you want to take us out from here, you can resign or burn yourself, we don’t care,” said A. Arzumanyan. The judge was insulted by the expression “burn yourself”. “I have seen on TV how people burn themselves for their political orientation. And now one judge can burn himself too, what’s the problem?” said S. Sirunyan and suggested the judge to resign. The judge had to bow his had and listen to insulting expressions and be slammed during the court session. Sometimes he was trying to make people come down. “Thanks dude,” said Sirunyan and left the room. At that time Martirosyan could hardly pronounce that the next session will take place on December 23 and left the room. It is worth mentioning that during the court session a group of demonstrators, who had gathered near the court building, marched to the Embassy of France, the government building and foreign affairs ministry.