20:55, 23 July 2013

In Nagorno-Karabakh, court sentenced students to 10 and 11 years in prison for espionage

Goar Mnatsakanyan, mother of David Barsegyan (to the right), after her son had been found guilty, Nagorno-Karabakh, Stepanakert. July 23, 2013. Photo by Alvard Grigoryan for the “Caucasian Knot”.

Students David Barsegyan and Rafael Avakyan, figuring as defendants on charges of espionage in Nagorno-Karabakh, have been found guilty and sentenced to 10 and 11 years in prison, respectively.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that, according to the prosecution, the defendants delivered state secrets to the special agent of foreign services Samvel Azatyan, living in Istanbul. Both students have denied their wrongdoing: they communicated with Azatyan on the Internet and told him about Nagorno-Karabakh, in the belief that he was an Armenian, a representative of a charity.

When reading out the verdict, Judge Anatoly Tadevosyan said that the court took into account extenuating circumstances, when drawing up the verdict.

The defendants are young, have no earlier criminal record; both have health problems; besides, the court received positive characteristics of both defendants, says the verdict.

It can be appealed against within a month. The defence has already announced their intention to do it, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports.

Author: Alvard Grigoryan

Source: CK correspondent