Kocharyan criminal case: Lawyer confirms France's 'close interest' in trial 'on President Macron's level'

French President Emmanuel Macron stated recently that his country is closely following the criminal case against Robert Kocharyan to evaluate the democracy processes in the country since last year's political developments, a member of the defense team said on Monday.

Sevak Torosyan, a French-Armenian attorney who represents the second president in the "March 1" criminal case, said they consider the entire proceeding the "whims of the ruling regime" concentrated around a single person, i.e. - Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

He said he is under the impression that judges in Armenia are highly liable to pressure in case of a decision-making ″undesired by the country’s top leader″. ″We cannot speak about the principles of independence as there aren't absolutely any guarantees.  Three principles apply to judges whenever they pass a ruling not desired by the prime minister: a search, prosecution and dismissal. I am sure all the judges in Armenia are preying lest they should not take up a major case. Should they [those proceedings] deal with 'enemies' fancied by the prime minister, the judges will need to have the courage to say, for example, that Kocharyan's arrest is illigitemate indeed,″ he told reporters.  

The lawyer said he sees the urgent need of an "internal war" among judges to ensure their independence.  ″A judge is a soldier as he or she performs the hardest ever job in the world,″ Torosyan said, warning of the threats of a deepening subordination to the executive authorities.

The lawyer added that President Macron gave his written evaluation of the proceeding in response to their earlier request.

″What that letter says practically is 'Make now doubt; France is very closely following Robert Kocharyan's trial',″ he added.

The advocate described Kocharyan's arrest as a symbolic procedure similar to a sacrifice ritual typical to post-revolutionary periods. ″That's what the revolution needs. And that's what Pashinyan himself needs virtually, as he wishes to attract attention to his own personality indeed. The problem in Armenia today is anthropological rather than a legal one, as it deals with the return of thef sacrifice to Armenia,″ he added.

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