Judge Misread Article Number of Mikhail's Verdict, Lawyer Claims

The judge was so emotional that he misread the article number of Mikhail's verdict, informed lawyer Ara Zograbyan after the court session.

“Mikhail was accused of committing an act defined by part 2 of Article 422 of the Criminal Code. Today, the court read that he was charged under part 2 of Article 442, which pertains to something entirely different—'Illegal participation in entrepreneurial activities by an official'. The court discussed a different article altogether now. Emotions affect people's fates. It is clear that this was a commissioned act, and Mikhail did not commit the act stipulated by either Article 442 or Article 422,” said lawyer Ara Zograbyan to the journalists.

He emphasized that Mikhail was mentally prepared for this verdict. He added that it will definitely be appealed to the appellate court. According to him, they have already received a decision from the Supreme Court, which rejected their complaint regarding the initial arrest, and therefore, they will now refer this matter to an international court.