YEREVAN, JANUARY 13, NOYAN TAPAN. According to Grigor Haroutiunian, a Board member of the People's Party of Armenia (PPA), the Armenian authorities do not have sufficient materials and evidence on the "case of the seven," therefore they have turned the trial into a theater. In his interview to Noyan Tapan correspondent G. Haroutiunian said that defendants' not standing up is not a grounded reason for periodically delaying the court sitting. He reminded that dozens of arrested activists on the March 1 case also refused to stand up when the judge entered the court hall, but the trials went on and the judges pronounced the judgement. G. Haroutiunian added that nevertheless the delay of the trial on the "case of the seven" is not beneficial for the authorities. "Now, when PACE has named these people political prisoners, our authorities should prove that there are no political prisoners and people persecuted for their political views in Armenia," he said. However, according to G. Haroutiunian, instead of proving that there are no political prisoners in Armenia the trial on the "case of the seven" is evidence that Armenia completely lacks the third, judicial power.

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