Path of Law Human Rights Organization has sent a letter to the California Attorney General to inform threats against a judge who has released Armenian ex-president Robert Kocharyan on bail.

The statement runs as follows: 

On June 18. 2020, the Criminal Court of Appeal, chaired by judge Mr. Arsen Nikoghosyan (an alumnus of a U.S. university) ruled on the release on bail of Mr. Robert Kocharyan, former President of Armenia. 

On June 20, 2020. Mr. Hamlet Abrahamyan. U.S. citizen of Armenian origin, residing in California, posted on his personal Facebook account a life threat addressed to judge Nikoghosyan. In particular, he posted the photo of the judge and stated the following: "We shall see who is the Armenian hero that will kill like a dog this stupid judge with the teeth of a horse" (The screenshot of the relevant posting is attached to this letter).

Evidently, this statement not only contains elements of crime for annoying the judge, but also threats to his life and incitement for hatred.

Taking into account the United States' renown devotion to ensure independence of judiciary, free from any pressure, as well as the efforts aimed to combating hate speech, we kindly ask you to consider this message as a report on crime and take appropriate measures, as it would have been required in case of an attack against a U.S. judge, and, if necessary, institute a criminal investigation.