YEREVAN. – The decision by Court of Appeals not to change the restraining order against activist Tigran Arakelyan is “a slap in the face of Armenian society”, activist’s lawyer said.

Earlier on Wednesday the Court rejected the motion signed by 110 politicians and public figures demanding that restraining order against Tigran Arakelyam must be changed.

“For me, this decision was predictable. Unfortunately, we live in an illegal state. There is no independent court in the Republic of Armenia,” Mushegh Shushanyan said.

He noted that over 100 public figures respected in Armenia, provided guarantees for proper conduct of Tigran Arakelyan during the trial.

As Armenian News-NEWS.am informed earlier, a general jurisdiction court had sentenced ANC activists Tigran Arakelyan, Artak Karapetyan, Sargis Gevorgyan, and Davit Kiramijyan to six, three, and two years, respectively, as a result of an incident that had occurred on August 9, 2011, in capital city Yerevan. The Criminal Court of Appeals had upheld this ruling, and therefore the activists’ attorneys had submitted to the Court of Cassation their objections to this verdict. As a result, six of the young activists were released on signature bond, whereas Arakelyan had remained under arrest.