I Thought the Courts Should Have Been More Just and Impartial, Says Gagik Khachatryan's Defense

During a session at the Yerevan City Court of General Jurisdiction, presided over by Judge Artush Gabrielyan, a decision was made to detain former Minister of Finance and former head of the State Revenue Committee, Gagik Khachatryan, based on a motion by the National Security Service regarding preventive measures.

“Detention is generally the strictest form of restriction. Why are people detained? Because there is a fear that the accused may hide or flee. For six months, Gagik Khachatryan has had a release from custody with a signed document (in connection with the criminal case under investigation by the Special Investigation Service). During all this time, the court had no concerns, and suddenly they now fear that the accused might hide? If he has not hidden until now, does he need to hide now? This person even traveled from Yerevan to Tsaghkadzor and participated in searches; if he had the intention to flee, he wouldn’t do that. Not to mention that we were aware of the detention decision since that morning, and what is presented now has nothing to do with the trial. None of our arguments were addressed because they could not be refuted, yet the court made the decision it did. I thought the courts should have been more just and impartial. The court does what is expected of it. At this moment, I would like to point out clearly that the reasoning for Gagik Khachatryan’s detention is missing in the court’s decision,” said Khachatryan's lawyer during a conversation with reporters after the court session.