Today, only one defendant was present at the court session on Banda’s case in the Court of General jurisdiction of Kentron and Nork Marash Administrative Districts of Yerevan City, Presiding Judge Arshak Vardanyan informed that a sanction of removing the defendants from the court room for 10 hours had been applied against the defendants Rafayel Haroyan and Hayk Kojoyan, for hindering the natural process of the former court hearing.
One of the members of escorting group of the penitentiary reported to the court that defendants Karen Vardanyan and Mnatsakan Sargsyan were brought to the court building, but refused to enter the court room stating their refusal with the fact that Rafayel and Hayk were removed from the court room.
The court announced a short break as the lawyers of the defendants agreed to talk with their clients. After the break, Karen and Mnatsakan entered the court room. Rafayel’s advocate Liparit Simonyan made a petition to bring his client to the court room stating that his improper behavior was the result of the prosecutor’s inaction, and the defendant wants to attend the court session which will consider his case and to carry out his protection. Hayk’s advocate Armen Feroyan made a similar petition.
The court refused to authorize the defendants to return to the court room unless the expiry of the period of the sanction. This caused the discontent of the defendants and their lawyers. Defendants Karen and Mnatsakan left the court room immediately.
Further their lawyers Liparit Simonyan and Armen Feroyan did the same saying that they were authorized to protect the defendants’ rights by the latter and they cannot carry out the defense in their absence.
The Court left to the retiring room to conduct the legal assessment of the advocates’’ conduct. After returning the Court stated that they had decided to apply to the Chamber of Advocates with request to initiate a disciplinary proceeding against the advocates.
Details in the video.
