Court of Appeals Acquits Isaak Makhasyan Convicted in March 1 Case

The Court of Appeals of Armenia has granted the appeal of the Prosecutor General and acquitted Isaak Makhasyan, who was convicted in the March 1 case. This was announced by Gor Abrahamyan, an advisor to the Prosecutor General, on his Facebook page.

“By the verdict of June 16, 2008, Isaak Makhasyan was found guilty under the first part of Article 316 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia and sentenced to one year of imprisonment. The punishment imposed on him was not applied conditionally, with a probation period set for one year,” wrote Abrahamyan.

According to the Prosecutor's advisor, the verdict had been appealed by Makhasyan and his defense to the Court of Appeals, but due to the non-appearance of Makhasyan and his defender at the court session, the proceedings were terminated on the grounds of withdrawal from the appeal.

“The review of verdicts and the materials of criminal cases conducted by the Prosecutor General's office has revealed that during the establishment of the accusatory judicial act in 2008, the First Instance Court committed fundamental violations that disrupt the essence of justice. In light of the legal positions expressed by the European Court on the case 'M. Saghatelyan v. Republic of Armenia' and several other complaints unrelated to Armenia, considering the circumstances present in the case, Prosecutor General Artur Davtyan appealed to the Court of Appeals of Armenia, requesting to overturn the judicial act regarding Makhasyan and to recognize his innocence in the attributed acts.