Advocates treat Armenian court decision in Barsegyan's case as unprecedented

The Armenia's Administrative Court has ruled in favour of Levon Barsegyan, the head of the Gyumri-based "Asparez" Press Club, having fined the police for his illegal detention by 500,000 drams. Such judgement was made for the first time and is unprecedented, said the advocates of the activist.

According to Barsegyan' defence, they received the judgement on March 14.

On September 21, 2011, the Independence Day of Armenia, Levon Barsegyan was taken to the central police station. On that day, activists organized a march in Yerevan against the staff of the 102^nd Russian military base stationed in the city of Gyumri, Barsegyan now reminded the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

Policemen detained Barsegyan and one more participant of the action. At the station, activists demanded that policemen drew up a detention protocol, but they refused, and after a while the detainees were released.

A lawsuit was filed on behalf of Barsegyan, claiming compensation in the amount of 1.5 million drams for moral harm; the court has granted the claim in part, obliging the police to pay 500,000 drams.

Artak Zeinalyan, a Barsegyan's advocate, told the "Caucasian Knot" that the court has made such a judgement for the first time.

According to his story, many had filed lawsuits against the police, but never had the court applied the "Administrative Law".

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.