RELATIVES OF RNK EX DEFENSE MINISTER SAMVEL BABAYAN LEFT THE COURTROOM

PanARMENIAN.Net - 20.09.2000, MEDIAMAX, YEREVAN. The trial of the accused of the terrorist act of March 22 against RNK president Arkady Ghukasian is proceeding in Stepanakert.

As the correspondent of MEDIAMAX reports, on September 19 the declarations of accused Levon Mirzoyan, Garnik Aharonian and Vardan Tashchyan, refusing lawyer services, were read out at the trial. The court complied with their request.

Zhudeks Shakarian, the lawyer of RNK ex defense minister Samvel Babayan, presented another solicitation - to draw TV journalist Tsvetana Paskaleva to the trial as the lawyer or public defence of S. Babayan - and forwarded to Judge Suren Alexanian the solicitation of the Armenian Center for Human Rights after Academician Sakharov. But this proposal was rejected by the court as "being groundless".

During the session the atmosphere became so tense that the judge had to remove Babayan's mother-in law, Larisa Pharamazian, from the hall. S. Babayan's sister also left the courtroom.

The trial of the accused of the terrorist act of March 22 against RNK president Arkady Ghukasian started on September 18 in Stepanakert. The main accused of the case is the RNK ex defense minister, Lieutenant-General Samvel Babayan. -0-