Court hearing in trial of Kocharyan, three other former top officials adjourned amid absence of lawyers
The Yerevan Court of General Jurisdiction had to adjourn a hearing in the trial of Armenia’s second President Robert Kocharyan and three other former senior officials Armen Gevorgyan, Seyran Ohanyan and Yuri Khachaturov due to the absence of Kocharyan’s and Gevorgyan’s lawyers.
At the start of the hearing, presiding judge Anna Danibekyan announced that she had received similar applications from lawyers Erik Aleksanyan, Hovhannes Khudoyan, Aram Orbelyan, Hayk Alumyan, Aram Vardevanyan and Ruben Sahakyan.
According to the judge, the lawyers indicate that during the January 9 hearing the victims’ legal successor voiced threats against them, while the court failed to respond properly to the incident, due to which the defense lawyers claim they are deprived of the opportunity to fully exercise their rights and responsibilities.
“Citing this reasons, the lawyers stated that they would not attend the court hearing,” the judge said.
Armen Gevorgyan and Robert Kocharyan said that they were unable to involve other attorneys in the court hearing. In the event, the hearing was adjourned until February 4.
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