Yuri Khachaturov to Appeal to ECHR, Defense Claims

The Cassation Court has rejected the appeal of Yuri Khachaturov's defense against the lower court's decision to allow his detention based on charges of overthrowing the constitutional order in the March 1 case.

In an interview with Tert.am, defense attorney Mihran Poghosyan stated that the Cassation Court did not consider numerous issues raised by them, starting from the argument that detention cannot be deemed permissible when the connection to the charges brought has not been established, as well as the questions related to Yuri Khachaturov's diplomatic immunity and violations of his right to defense.

“We had also raised the question concerning the statements made by the heads of the Special Investigation Service and the National Security Service that clearly indicate that the detention of Yuri Khachaturov did not pursue a legal objective but rather had an illegal purpose, stemming from the desires of certain individuals and was a means to achieve illicit objectives. Specifically, it was clear from the conversations that they indicated 'let him be detained, and then he will talk,' meaning that the detention aimed at coercing him to speak. The Cassation Court also paid no attention to this issue; it was a standard, template decision, which speaks to the fact that once again they avoided making acts that would contribute to justice,” he noted.

Mihran Poghosyan emphasized that under such circumstances, they would be compelled to seek justice at the ECHR.

“It is evident that at least the illegality of the detention decision is classic. The Armenian courts have been exhausted, and we will turn to the ECHR,” he stressed.

It is recalled that charges have been filed against the former Secretary General of the CSTO, Yuri Khachaturov, under Article 300.1 of the RA Criminal Code (overthrowing the constitutional order) in connection with the March 1 case.

Alternative measures for securing his appearance in court have been applied to Yuri Khachaturov, amounting to a bail of 5 million AMD. His defense team had appealed the court's decision allowing his detention to the Court of Appeals, which rejected the appeal, after which an appeal was made to the Cassation Court.