YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 27, NOYAN TAPAN. The preliminary examination and judicial enquiry on case with accusation of making an attempted murder through blowing up RA MP Melik Gasparian's car proceeded with gross violations. Karen Mezhlumian, the lawyer of Silva Asatrian, the defendant on the case, stated at the November 27 press conference. On October 12, 2007, a sentence was passed on the case by the court of Yerevan's Avan and Nor Nork communities. At present the case is being examined at the Criminal Appeal Court, presided over by judge Samvel Uzunian. Among "gross violations of law," the lawyer mentioned the incident when as early as in the process of preliminary examination, Silva Asatrian, the defendant on the case, was "kidnapped," as it was cleared up lately, was taken to the Yerevan-Kentron penitentiary office of the National Security Service, was illegally arrested, though Pargev Ohanian, a judge at Yerevan Kentron and Nork-Marash communities' first instance court, had dismissed the petition of arrest. This was followed by a joint statement of S. Asatrian's lawyers and human rights activists, addressed to RA Prosecutor General Aghvan Hovsepian, on instituting a criminal case on the fact. "No decision on instituting a criminal case or dismissing its institution was made by the RA Prosecutor General's Office on that written report, the statement was only attached to the case and was sent to the court," the lawyer said. Among violations of law, the defence party also mentioned the fact that Silva Asatrian was prohibited to interrogate Yuri Wolfson, who had testified against her, which is a violation of the provisions the European Convention of Human Rights. This violation was aggravated for even more by the circumstance that Wolfson had stated at the court that the testimony was extorted from him as a result of tortures, at the bidding of the preliminary examination body. Among violations of law, the lawyer also mentioned the fact that the sentence was provided to them only ten days after it had been pronounced, though the law establishes a five-day term. The protocols of court sittings were also provided to the party with a delay.

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