In Zhirair Sefilyan's case, defendants waive appointed advocate

On July 21, the court hearing in the case against Zhirair Sefilyan, the leader of the opposition movement "100 Years Without Regime", was held in the absence of six defendants and several of their advocates, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports.

The "Caucasian Knot" has informed that at the court hearing held on June 30, the judge removed Zhirair Sefilyan, Gevorg Safaryan, Nerses Pogosyan, and Grair Topchyan from the courtroom for 10 hours for contempt of court and applied sanctions to their defenders.

Ara Zakaryan, an advocate of Zhirair Sefilyan, has filed a motion to return his client to the courtroom. He has noted that Zhirair Sefilyan requested his advocates not to take part in the trial in his absence.

"The trial held in the absence of our clients contradicts the interests of our trustees. In such a situation, we have nothing else to do but leave the courtroom," Ara Zakaryan stated.

In connection with the fact that the advocates of the defendants left the courtroom, the judge appointed public advocate Anna Djuvanova to defend the interests of Galust Grigoryan and Gevorg Safaryan. However, the defendants waived the services of the appointed advocates, and the advocate appointed by the court stated that she had no right to represent the interests of the defendants against their will.

A break has been announced in the case. The next court hearing is scheduled for July 28.

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