Artur Avanesyan trial postponed to August

PanARMENIAN.Net - The court hearing in the case involving Strong Armenia party member Colonel Artur Avanesyan, also known as Kandaz, and two other defendants has been postponed, with the questioning phase moved to the next hearing.

On June 25, the court replaced the pretrial detention of Strong Armenia party member and intelligence officer Avanesyan with house arrest and a travel ban.

At the beginning of the hearing, the public prosecutor presented audio recordings which, according to the prosecution, captured Artur Avanesyan and co-defendants Artur Iskandaryan and Gegham Zakaryan discussing the election campaign, Sputnik Armenia reported.

Judge Sargis Dadoyan asked the defense whether they wished to provide any explanations or statements. Defense lawyer Armen Feroyan said they did not intend to do so at this stage but requested that the recordings be preserved so they could be replayed during future hearings, if necessary, when witnesses and defendants are questioned.

"We have discussed this issue among the defense team, and from a tactical standpoint we do intend to testify, as we stated from the very beginning. We need a little more time to prepare, and we will certainly be ready for questioning at the next hearing," the lawyer said.

The judge also addressed a motion filed by the defense during the previous hearing seeking the return of the defendants' electronic devices. He said the devices had not been submitted to the court and advised the defense to address the investigator on that matter.

The next court hearing has been scheduled for August 12 at 3:00 p.m.

On April 27, the Anti-Corruption Committee detained Strong Armenia party member and intelligence officer Artur Avanesyan, who had joined the team of businessman and Strong Armenia leader Samvel Karapetyan. It later became known that he had been arrested on suspicion of promising employment and other benefits to several voters in exchange for voting in favor of his political force in the parliamentary elections. On April 28, Avanesyan was remanded in custody for two months.

Avanesyan was held at Vardashen Penitentiary, and an appeal against his detention was filed with the Court of Appeal.