Arzumanyan: arrest of "Case of Seven" figurants was illegal

Alexander Arzumanyan, one of the defendants in the "Case of Seven", former head of the pre-election office of Levon Ter-Petrosyan and ex-Minister of Foreign Affairs, has stated today at the court session, addressing the judge and the accusation, that the opposition activists were arrested illegally.

According to his version, at the trial the prosecution party was selectively reading parts of Articles of the Criminal Code, and skipped other parts thereof.

During his presentation, Mr Arzumanyan demanded that the judge should self-disqualify, having declared that "Judge Mnatsakan Martirosyan shall obey to international rules and norms and declare self-disqualification."

During the first session on the "Case of Seven", Stepan Voskanyan, advocate of Grigor Voskerchyan, has moved a petition to challenge Judge Martirosyan who is presiding at the trial. The advocate justified his petition by the argument that Judge Martirosyan was one of those who had passed numerous accusatory verdicts and extended custody terms.

Some representatives of the families of those who perished in the events on March 1 have also challenged the judge.

Prosecutor Koryun Piloyan who spoke on behalf of the accusation has stated that there were no grounds for the judge to self-disqualify.

With the aim to discuss the challenge and self-disqualification petitions, Judge Mnatsakan Martirosyan who is presiding at the trial of "Case of Seven" took a one-hour break in the judicial session.