YEREVAN. – A protest outside the Court of Cassation of Armenia building, and with a demand for the release of Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh Republic) former Defense Minister and Defense Army Commander Samvel Babayan, is in progress on Monday.
A court official had recently received a group of Babayan’s supporters and informed that a decision on his case shall be made within the shortest reasonable timeframe.
An appeal on Babayan’s case had been submitted to this court. The defense and demonstrators demand that the court urgently consider this appeal and, subsequently, acquit Babayan.
A Babayan supporter had stated that the Court of Cassation had made a gross intervention in the judicial process, and that they are not considering the defense’s motion to release him.
Separately, National Assembly “Way Out” (Yelk) Faction members Sasun Mikaelyan and Hovik Aghazaryan had petitioned the court—with a letter of guarantee—for commuting the preventive measure of arrest, which is in force regarding Babayan.
The first instance court had found Samvel Babayan guilty of orchestrating the smuggling of arms into Armenia and sentenced him to six years in prison; and the appellate court had upheld this ruling.
According to the indictment, Babayan had prompted a group of people to illegally purchase, transport and store Igla missile system, and he had acquired unlawful property in exchange.
