“This Absurd Verdict Will Be Appealed to a Higher Court,” Avetik Chalabyan

Public and political figure Avetik Chalabyan's Facebook post read: “Dear friends, yesterday the first-instance court of Yerevan, presided over by Judge Mnatsakan Martirosyan, issued a verdict in a criminal case that has been ongoing for a year and a half, which imposes an unprecedented absurd ban on my public and political activities in Armenia, obliging me to refrain from organizing and participating in public gatherings for the next two years.

This absurd verdict's political motives are so obvious that it makes no sense to discuss them specifically. Unable to prove my guilt in this fabricated and utterly sloppy case, the court, by direct order of the current authorities, is trying, as a last resort, to limit my public and political activities.

It goes without saying that this will not succeed, just as it has not succeeded so far, and our struggle for a united, free, and just Armenian homeland will continue with renewed vigor, despite this anti-national and defeatist regime and its various enforcers.

Of course, this absurd verdict will be appealed to a higher court, but we will not limit ourselves to that, and we will do everything possible to restore justice not only for myself but also for all our citizens suffering from the violations of this regime.

On Monday, our defense team will hold a press conference to elaborate on the course of this case and present our further actions. In the meantime, I would like to thank all those who have supported our struggle during this time and continue to back us as we carry it forward.