Tigran Arakelian to remain in custody

The RA Court of Criminal Appeals rejected today the petition concerning Tigran Arakelian, an imprisoned activist of the Armenian National Congress (HAK) Party.

After several hours of consultations, Judge Eva Darbinian announced the court decision to reject the petition filed by the defense lawyer who requested the court to change the measure of restraint against Arakelian. The activist will remain in custody.

The deputy chairman of HAK Party Levon Zurabian earlier sent a letter of recommendation to Judge Eva Darbinian. The letter was also signed by a number of intellectuals, journalists, and members of various political forces.

A scuffle took place between seven activists of HAK and policemen on August 9, 2011, following wich the activists were detained. In particular, Tigran Arakelian was charged under Article 258 (hooliganism) of the Criminal Code. On July 20, 2012, Judge Gagik Poghosian pronounced a sentence in the HAK activists’ case in the court of general jurisdiction of Kentron and Nork-Marash administrative districts in Yerevan. Tigran Arakelian received 6 years in jail, Sargis Gevorgian and David Kiramijian – two years each. Yet another HAK activist, Artak Karapetian, received three years in prison. On November 13, 2012, the RA Court of Appeals chaired by Judge Armen Denielian left the court sentence unchanged.

On May 8, 2013 the Cassation Court of Armenia partly sustained the claim of the lawyers of HAK activists Vahe Grigorian and Stepan Voskanian and sent the case to the Appeal Court for a review.