First court hearing on Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan’s case scheduled for tomorrow

The first court hearing on the case of Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan, the Chancellor of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, will begin tomorrow at 3:00 PM at the Armavir Regional Court of General Jurisdiction.

“Let me remind you that the previous time the judge recused himself, as a result of which the case was transferred to another judge. The new judge is Artur Adamyan.

Let me also remind you that as a result of this political persecution, the Archbishop was imprisoned for about 3 months,” wrote lawyer Arsen Babayan.

The Archbishop was arrested on December 5. The decision to detain him was made by Judge Masis Melkonyan.

On December 4, the National Security Service arrested Archbishop Arshak in the building of the Investigative Committee. The Investigative Committee informed about the proceedings in which Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan was arrested, stating that he is charged under Article 393, Part 2, Paragraphs 1 and 4 of the Criminal Code.

“During the preliminary investigation of the criminal case, a public criminal prosecution was initiated under Article 393, Part 2, Paragraphs 1 and 4 of the Criminal Code (illegal sale of narcotic drugs by a group of persons with prior consent in a public place),” the Investigative Committee told Aysor.am.

On March 5, Judge Arsen Nikoghosyan of the Court of Appeals ruled to immediately release the Archbishop from custody.