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Armenia’s Criminal Court of Appeal postponed today the trial of young Armenian National Congress (HAK) activists due to workload of the defense, a Panorama.am correspondent reported from the court.

The next court sitting is due on October 11.

Seven HAK activists were taken into custody on August 9, 2011, after a standoff with police in a Yerevan park. On August 12, three of them were released under recognizance not to leave. A week later, the court decided to release three more activists; however, a petition to release Tigran Arakelyan was rejected. The activists are accused of hooliganism against a representative of law-enforcement body.

On July 20, judge of Court of General Jurisdiction of Yerevan’s Kentron and Nork-Marash administrative districts, Gagik Poghosyan, sentenced HAK activist Tigran Arakelyan to 6 years in prison. Artak Karapetyan was sentenced to 3 years in prison, and Sargis Gevorgyan and David Kiramijyan to 2 years in prison each.

The prosecution is represented in the Criminal Court of Appeal by Prosecutor Hakob Martirosyan. Judges include Danielyan, Aghramanyan, Tadevosyan.

Prior to today’s trial, a group of people protested in front of the court building, demanding release of the young activists.