The defense team representing Serzh Sargsyan in the recently launched criminal case has cited “gross violations” of the Criminal Procedure Code in the prosecution involving the third president.
In a statement on Tuesday, the lawyers claimed that the inquest authorities acted in violation of Article 202 of the said legal act (The grounds and Procedure of Impleading as the Accused) in charging the Sargsyan with the embezzlement of state funds.
They also reaffirmed the earlier allegations (expressed in the initial phase of the inquest) that the charges in question dealt with functions “stemming from Sargsyan’s official authority”. The advocates cited, particularly, the constitutional immunity clause ruling out any prosecution or accountability measures for actions linked to the former president’s status.
The defense team insists also on the absence of sufficient direct incriminating evidence, noting that the available data “fall short of proving” that the case in question was examined in connection with a criminal offense.
The lawyers further complain that the inquest body repeatedly rejected their earlier motions for a comprehensive and objective probe, as well as requests for obtaining vital evidence and issuing specific procedural rulings. Summing up its findings, the defense team insists that the criminal case against the third president amounts to a political persecution “behind the pretext of procedural breaches”.
Considering the large public resonance of the case, the lawyers also promise to keep the society up to date of their future actions.