Court of Appeals also rejected ‘Electric Yerevan’ participant’s complaint: a complaint will be filed with the Cassation Court (Video)
16:22, July 21, 2017 | News, Own news | Freedom of Assembly and Association, Right to liberty and security
On July 20, 2017 the RA Court of Criminal Appeals resumed examination of the complaint of ‘Electric Yerevan’ participant Mikayel Kirakosyan and his representative Tatevik Siradeghyan, lawyer at Yerevan office of HCA Vanadzor, and ruled on the case.
Note that based on M. Kirakosyan’s crime report on being apprehended by force from the protest area on July 6, 2015 and getting injuries as a result, the RA Special Investigation Service initiated criminal proceedings and suspended them on December 26, 2016. The complaint filed with the Court required compelling the body responsible for the proceedings to stop violation of M. Kirakosyan’s rights and freedoms.
On May 11, 2017 the Court of General Jurisdiction of Arabkir and Kanaker-Zeytun administrative districts rejected the complaint and then an appeal was filed with the Court of Appeals.
The previous court hearing at the Court of Appeals was postponed to hear the positions on the appeal of the body responsible for the proceedings and the reviewing prosecutor as they were not present at the court hearing.
The investigator responsible for the proceedings did not attend the court hearing of July 20 as well. Vagharshak Mkrtchyan, prosecutor at the RA Prosecutor General’s Office, expressed his position. He considered the complaint groundless and the police actions to restrict the assembly and use physical force lawful.
In his speech, prosecutor V. Mkrtchyan did not refer to any other circumstances mentioned in the complaint and particularly restricting by the police of M. Kirakosyan’s right to liberty and security of person and freedom of assembly.
V. Kirakosyan’s representative T. Siradeghyan made a statement and noted that the RA Police is not competent to apply any restrictions on the assembly area and addressed the fact that M. Kirakosyan’s right to liberty and security of person were violated while he was kept at the police station.
In so far, the Court considered the examination of the appeal over and rejected it by its ruling announced shortly after. M. Kirakosyan and his representative will also appeal the ruling on suspending the criminal proceedings before the Court of Cassation.
Photos and videos: aravot.am