It Was Clear to Everyone in the Public Sphere What to Expect: Defender of Bagrat the Blessed

In 2018, a revolution took place in Armenia, and from the perspective of law enforcement and judicial practice, it is not illegal to carry out a revolution in Armenia, provided it is not accompanied by violence. Today, during the preliminary hearing of the case involving Bagrat the Blessed, the leader of the 'Holy Struggle' and 17 supporters, defense attorney Hovhannes Khudoyan announced a motion to terminate criminal prosecution against all 18 defendants on the grounds of lack of corpus delicti.

'This case should be closed, and the criminal prosecution should be terminated because it is already impossible to examine the materials of this case due to its fabricated, corrupt, and rotten nature,' Khudoyan stated.

The lawyer presented manipulations by law enforcement and high-ranking officials that have accompanied this case. According to him, on June 20, many participants of the 'Holy Struggle' were detained for what was termed explanatory work. By that date, the entire evidence package for this case was prepared, wiretaps had been conducted, etc., but the law enforcement agencies had no issue with arresting the 18 defendants present in the courtroom.

'On June 24, pro-government media published a popular transition plan that described, without violent actions, how a revolution could be made in Armenia, involving individuals and forces,' Khudoyan said.

He noted that afterwards, the Prime Minister, MPs, ministers, and various high-ranking officials began to carry out information terror, trying to demonstrate that authorities had uncovered a plot to overthrow the government in Armenia. According to him, it was already clear to everyone in the public sphere what to expect, and from June 25, searches and arrests began.

It is worth recalling that charges have been filed against 18 individuals in the case of usurping power, including Bagrat the Blessed. According to the Armenian Investigative Committee, the participants and leaders of the 'Holy Struggle' movement planned to carry out terrorist activities and seize power in Armenia.