Lawyers Call for a Strike

Lawyer Arayik Papikyan writes: "Dear lawyers (Armenian Bar Association), our colleague, lawyer Alexander Kochubayev, has been arrested for a post made on social media and is set to be presented to the court for detention.

Yesterday, the Investigative Committee (most likely with the knowledge and approval of its leadership, possibly by order) obstructed the entry of arriving lawyers for hours and did not allow them to meet with their clients. Although there was evidently a composition of the crime as per Article 491 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia (Obstruction of a Lawyer's Powers, if it is manifested by illegally preventing a lawyer's entry to any place of deprivation of liberty for the purpose of meeting their client), no report has yet been written or a case initiated.

The regime is dismantling and will dismantle all institutions. If they have dared to destroy a 1700-year-old institution, then our bar (each of us) will also face what it means to be "subdued." We can silently watch and wait for our turn to come or ... For starters, I suggest a 7-day strike on all types of cases and proceedings. I would gladly join any other approach acceptable to my colleagues."