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The Yerevan Court of General Jurisdiction is hearing a complaint of lawyers on inaction of the Prosecutor General’s Office and the Special Investigation Service (SIS).

On 22 December 2020, more than a hundred lawyers filed a report to the prosecutor general, requesting him to initiate a criminal case into high treason under Article 299 of the Criminal Code. The report referred to the events before, during and after the recent Artsakh war, hinting to the possibility of high treason.

Lawyers, including advocates, have today appeared in court for the hearing of the complaint.

Ara Zohrabyan, Chairman of the Chamber of Advocates, told reporters that the report presents all the events that took place before the war, such as Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's statements, including "Artsakh is Armenia. Period!”, as well as some of his actions during the war, including the release of data on reservists of a certain age.

"We have offered to consider all the facts from the point of view that maybe high treason has been committed,” the advocate said.

"Of course, we do not violate the presumption of innocence, we simply say there is such a reasonable suspicion and call for criminal proceedings to check it out," Zohrabyan said.

According to him, the current authorities also need it, if they actually have nothing to do with treason, adding the case will help dispel public doubts.

"Otherwise, our doubts grow, as we think they may have something to fear for if they oppose the launch of a criminal case,” he added.