Wednesday, June 28 2017 17:38

ArmInfo.The Chairman of the Chamber of Advocates Ara Zohrabyan sent a letter to the Chief of Police of Armenia, Colonel-General Vladimir Gasparyan in connection with the video recorded in the media dated 28 June 2017, in which it was shown  how violent actions were taken by police officers near the court of  general jurisdiction of Avan and Nor Nork administrative districts  concerning lawyers Lusine Sahakyan and Ara Zakaryan.

The letter reads: "In the Law on Advocates of Armenia, according to  part 2 of article 21, state and local authorities and officials,  individuals and legal entities are prohibited from interfering in the  activities of lawyers. In accordance with paragraph 4 of the same  article, the lawyer can not be held accountable, arrested, detained  or subjected to other restrictions in the rights in connection with  the performance of his professional duties. The Armenian Criminal  Code provides for the responsibility for the official obstructing the  activities of an advocate. On February 8, 2012, a Memorandum on  cooperation between the Police of the Republic of Armenia and the  Chamber of Advocates of the Republic of Armenia was signed between  the Armenian Police and the Chamber of Advocates. According to 1.1, 3  of the agreement, the parties agreed on cooperation in order to  comply with the rules of behavior. We ask you to punish the relevant  department, the incident must be studied, and it is necessary to  discuss the issue of prosecuting the guilty police officers. We note  that in the courtyard of the Court of General Jurisdiction In the  districts of Avan and Nor Nork, where the supporters of the Sasna  Tsrer group gathered, a tense situation arose. The lawyers Lusine  Sahakyan and Ara Zakaryan witnessed how more than ten police  officers, dragging and beating, detained one of the citizens gathered  near the court Lawyers Lusine Sahakyan and Ara Zakaryan tried to  protect this citizen and go with him to the police department,  however, the "red berets", pulling and pushing them away, did not  allow them to do so. They tried to go with the citizen, having  resisted the police, but the police, pushed them to the pavement.