Lawyer: No grounds existed to restrict the freedom of Vazgen Saghatelyan and Narek Samsonyan

Both the first Imnemnimi case and the current proceedings are among the few in Armenia that have drawn international attention, said Ruben Melikyan, lawyer for Narek Samsonyan, during an invited press conference.

According to Melikyan, even as the Armenian authorities receive support from the European Union to counter so-called “hybrid threats,” international organizations are providing critical feedback on this case. “I would like to express my gratitude to all our partners who contributed to this. In the previous case, we also received assessments from reputable international organizations,” he noted.

The lawyer stressed that the proceedings involve violations of more than half of the provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights. “It was evident from the outset that there were no legal grounds for restricting these individuals’ freedom. We have already gone through criminal proceedings in which, after two months of detention, an alternative preventive measure – administrative supervision – was applied for the boys and they fully complied with all conditions. Given that this measure has proven effective in the past, why apply the most severe preventive measure now?” Melikyan said.