Court Lifts Absentia Ban on Artavik Minasian

During a court session at the Anti-Corruption Court of Armenia, presided over by the judge, the request of the lawyer representing Artavik Minasian was granted, lifting the absentia ban imposed on him.

It is noteworthy that the National Assembly approved the prosecutor general’s request to initiate criminal proceedings against Seyran Ohanyan and Artavik Minasian. Both individuals have been subjected to a pretrial measure, which prohibited them from leaving the Republic of Armenia.

The preliminary investigation concluded recently and was sent to trial. Seyran Ohanyan is accused of illegally constructing a mansion on the shores of Lake Sevan, while Artavik Minasian is charged with granting permission for illegal construction. Both deny the accusations, considering the actions against them a political persecution.

The request for lifting the ban on Minasian was based on the decree from the Speaker of the National Assembly to send him on a business trip to Great Britain and Northern Ireland to participate in an event jointly organized by the OSCE/ODIHR and the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly, scheduled for October 11-18.

The prosecuting attorney stated that risks for the application of the pretrial measure still exist and proposed that a bail of five million dram be imposed, which could serve as sufficient assurance for ensuring the defendant's proper conduct during trial.

Artavik Minasian deemed the suggestion of setting bail offensive. “I, as a defendant, do not accept the bail application, I reject it and consider it a humiliating proposal, which is also an insult to a representative of a legislative body endowed with a primary mandate. Neither my past nor my activities justify such a proposal. In 2017, when I was first questioned in this case as a witness, I continued to hold the view that this is a fabricated case,” said Minasian.

The court decided to lift the absentia ban imposed on Artavik Minasian, reasoning that there is currently no likelihood of him fleeing.