In Armenia, court leaves retired Colonel Volodya Avetisyan in custody

The court of general jurisdiction of first instance of the administrative districts of Arabkir and Kanaker-Zeitun has dismissed the motions filed by the defence of retired Colonel Volodya Avetisyan, a Karabakh War veteran, accused of fraud, and left him in custody. Advocate Ara Zakaryan has announced that he will challenge the court's decision at the Council of Justice of Armenia.

Volodya Avetisyan, an active participant of the protests of Karabakh war veterans, was detained on September 20, 2013. The Karabakh war veteran is suspected of the fact that he had received 2000 US dollars from an official of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) of Armenia under pretence of helping to exempt a relative of an Armenian citizen from compulsory military service.

Judge Levon Avetisyan has refused to grant the motion to change the pre-trial restriction measure to Volodya Avetisyan. According to the defendant's advocate, the Judge has failed to present at least a single argument for making such a decision.

"To leave Volodya Avetisyan under arrest is unlawful," the advocate has added.

Volodya Avetisyan's companions in arms, activists of the initiative group "DEM AM", and civil society activists came to the courtroom to support the defendant. They were wearing T-shirts with the inscription reading: "Power structures, kill us, we are Armenians!" the activists were singing the national patriotic songs in front of the courthouse.