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It became known on Wednesday morning that the member of the Monitoring Group of the Helsinki Association Arshaluys Hakobyan has passed away in Toronto (Canada) at the age of 38. Hakobyan was in Canada, asking for political asylum. He was forced to apply as a result of continuous harassment by the Armenian authorities.

The Prosecutor declined the charge
On February 05, 2010 the trial of Arshaluys Hakobyan, monitor and human rights defender of Helsinki Association continued at the Court of First Instance of Kentron and Nork-Marash districts of Yerevan (defense attorney is G. Khachatryan, judge is G. Avetisyan, and the prosecutor is H. Babayan). The trial has been delayed for 3 month according the motion of the prosecution side reasoning it that the charge against A. Hakobyan is subject to change. On February 05, 2010 the prosecutor declined the charge brought against A. Hakobyan on the ground of lack of evidence. According to it the Court found A. Hakobyan innocent of crime and acquitted him.

On 06.11.2009 the Court of First Instance of Kentron and Nork Marash districts (Judge G. Khandanyan) examined the claimed filed by Arshaluys Hakobyan and his defense attorney Gayane Khachatryan on decision made on 29.07.2009 by K. Nazaryan, investigator of the Police Department of Kentron district. The decision was made to discontinue criminal prosecution against V. Badalyan and A. Sargsyan.

On October 16, 2009 the trial of human rights defender and monitor of Helsinki Association Arshaluys Hakobyan continued at the Court of the First Instance of Kentron and Nork-Marash districts (defence attorney- G. Khachatryan, judge- G. Avetistan, prosecutor- H. Babayan). Prosecutor H. Babayan filed a petition to the Court to postpone the trial for a month. He considers that the charge against A. Hakobyan was subject to change, also he filed a petition to Court to change the precautionary measure and choose another measure: a signature to not leave his place.

On October 6, 2009 the trial of Arshaluys Hakobyan, the monitor of Helsinki Association and human rights defender went on at the Court of First Instance of Kentron and Nork-Marash district. A. Hakobyan is accused of Article 316, part 1 of the Criminal Code of Armenia (defense attorney- G. Khachatryanm judge- G. Avetisyan, prosecutor H. Babayan).
According to the petition filed by G. Khachatryan, the Court demanded the Police Department of Kentron districts to provide information about the exact time of A. Hakobyan’s arrival to the Police department.

On September 23, 2009 the trial of Arshaluys Hakobyan, the monitor and human rights defender of Helsinki Association continued at the Court of First Instance of Kentron and Nork-Marash districts, Yerevan. He is accused of Article 316, part 1 of the Criminal Code of Armenia. The defense attorney to the case is G. Khachatryan, the judge to the case is G. Avetisyan, the prosecution party represents H. Babayan.

On September 15, 2009 the trial of Arshaluys Hakobyan, the monitor and human rights defender of Helsinki Association started at the Court of the First Instance of Kentron and Nork-Marash districts of Yerevan.
A. Hakobyan is accused of Article 316, part 1 of the Criminal Code of Armenia. The accusation is based on the testimonies of 4 policemen.

The members of the South Caucasus Network of Human Rights Defenders are deeply concerned about the continuous unlawful and ill-grounded detention of an Armenian human rights defender Arshaluys Hakobyan. Hakobyan, a member of Armenian Helsinki Association was arrested on 5 June, 2009 under the pretext of resisting the police during his arrest. The Network members believe that the real reason for Hakobyan’s detention is not only connected with his work as an election observer on May 31, 2009 election of the mayor of Yerevan, but, first of all, it is connected with his activities in the field of human rights protection.

Executive Summary

Urgent Appeal against Detention of Hakobyan