Tomorrow on 17 November the Criminal Court of Appeals will launch the stage of judicial argumentations on the case of Edgar Karakeshishyan and Ashot Arushanyan. Certainly, if no postponements take place, Ashot Arushanyan`s advocate Liparit Simonyan will make a defense speech.

There will also be a protest action in front of the court tomorrow. As Iravaban.net was informed by the relatives of the defendant, Ashot Arushanyan`s friends will hold banners in front of the court entrance, but Ashot Arushanyan`s parents will be neither in front of the court nor inside, as they are currently on a hunger strike in front of the RA Presidential palace.

First Instance court of general jurisdiction of Kentron and Nork-Marash communities presided by judge Mesrop Makyan found Edgar Karakeshishyan and Ashot Arushanyan guilty according to the 1st point of the 3rd part of Article 177 of the RA Criminal Code (prescribes 4-8 years of imprisonment for a theft of particular large amounts of money) and convicted Edgar Karakeshishyan to 7-year imrpisonment, and Ashot Arushanyan to 5-year-and-6-month imprisonment.

Ashot Arushantan was inculpated in assistance to the crime. “As if he provided information on a paper from his or his friend`s computer. First of all, the investigator should have known whether such paper was printed. I do believe that he went there, saw that there was none, and didn`t do anything else. They could at least find a fact that Ashot Arushanyan`s, Edgar karakeshishyan`s and Artashes Galustyan`s phone numbers have been accidentally served at the same place, but there was no such thing either. Artashes Galstyan`s only testimony has been recognized unacceptable”, said Ashot Arushanyan`s lawyer Liparit Simonyan.

Liparit Simonyan and Ashot Arushanyan`s relatives find that the first instance court made an unfair judgement and they consider as the main transgressor the investigator and the prosecutor. Liparit Simonyan made a solicitation at one of the court sessions so that the court in its turn makes a solicitation to the RA General Prosecutor`s Office to hold the investigator and the prosecutor liable.

Ashot Arushanyan`s father, mother and brother are on hunger strike for already 4 days. Before starting the hunger strike in front of the RA Presidential Palace they addressed letters to the RA President and 4 factions of then National Assembly. There is no response yet. Ashot Arushanyan`s mother`s health drastically worsened yesterday. Ashot Arushanyan`s parents will not take part in the court sitting. “We`ll be here, but Ashot`s friends and relatives should make a peaceful protest action in front of the RA Criminal Court of Appeals, so that our voice reaches the judges”, mentioned Ashot Arushanyan`s father Lavrent Arushanyan, and the mother concluded. “We hope that Ashot will come and take us from here”.

Author Gevorg Tosunyan
Iravaban.net