March 1 'survivors' in the dock (video)
“They are not trying us, they are trying the rebellious spirit of the Armenia people,” Vardan Vardanyan, one of the defendants in the so called “Shant Harutyunyan and his friends” case, announced in court on July 23. "This is the last active base capable of fighting for their rights,” he said. Vardan Vardanyan says the case has been ordered and they simply want to isolate the group. In their testimonies, the police only disgrace themselves. “The evidence of my words are the police officers with alleged short-term memory and visual impairment who show up in court in ripped jeans. Shant Harutyunyan was arrested on November 5 as he attempted to head to the Presidential Office together with a group of supporters to ‘blow up the building’ as he had earlier stated. He was immediately charged under Article 316.2 of the Criminal Code of Armenia (violence against a representative of the authorities that is dangerous for life or health). In April 2014, the charges against the political activist were replaced with Article 258 Section 4 (hooliganism committed with a weapon or another item used as a weapon). Harutyunyan faces up to 7 years in prison under new charges.
