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Garo Yegnukian to Court: They are tiring us out (video)

Politics
exnukyan

Relatives of Garo Yegnukian, a member of the Founding Parliament movement, were eventually able to see him 60 days later. Yegnukian was welcomed in the Court of General Jurisdiction of Yerevan’s Kentron and Nork-Marash districts with loud applause and vociferations “Karo, Karo!” Garo Yegnukian and his legal representatives are disputing General Prosecutor's inaction in court. Lawyer Tigran Hayrapetyan reminded that Yegnukian is being accused by the investigative body for engaging in the following four activities:

  1. On July 18, 2016, after hearing from the members of the armed group “Daredevils of Sassoon” that the police were moving armored vehicles toward the occupied buildings, Mr. Yegnukian publicized that fact on Facebook;
  2. On July 19, 2016, he encouraged the movement of protesters from Liberty Square toward the area close to the police compound occupied by the “Daredevils”;
  3. Mr. Yegnukian spread disinformation (suggesting that food provided to the “Daredevils” by the police might be poisoned), thus discrediting the police; and
  4. He aspired to provide radio communication from outside to the “Daredevils”.
Yegnukian is charged with assisting the armed group to seize buildings and structures and holding police officers hostage in the seized building. “The charges brought against Yegnukian are fabricated. No one would have thought that he might be charged for such acts,” said the lawyer. In his speech, Yegnukian wished that the Court be free and independent in its actions. “There is a game in which two persons stay on both sides and throw the ball onto a third person who is standing in the middle. Today, the Prosecutor’s Office and the investigative bodies are throwing the ball to each other and I am running from one side to the other but the ball does not hit me. Their aim is to exhaust me with the actions. We apply to the investigative body asking them to drop the trumped-up charges but they delay the motion. The Prosecutor’s Office and the investigative bodies are tiring out not only me, but also the court,” he said. The trial will continue on September 27.  

Armenian