CHAIRMAN OF HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE AT THE PRESIDENT OF ARMENIA HELD A MEETING WITH RNK EX DEFENSE MINISTER

06.10.2000, MEDIAMAX, YEREVAN. The purpose of our visit to RNK was to meet with Samvel Babayan and the other accused of the case of the terrorist act against RNK President, said in the interview to MEDIAMAX the Chairman of Human Rights Committee at the President of Armenia, Paruyr Hayrikian.
Mr. Hayrikian said that RNK authorities rendered all the necessary assistance in organizing the meeting with Samvel Babayan. “We had some difficulties speaking to the judge, which, in fact, is natural, taking into consideration that an independent judge should behave independently”, Hayrikian said.
He also informed MEDIAMAX that during his meeting with Samvel Babayan, the latter spoke against considering this case in RNK court and appealed to transfer the trial in one of the courts of Armenia.
Commenting upon Babayan’s recent declaration about being influenced by drastic medicaments, and the following it refutation by RNK General Prosecutor’s Office, P. Hayrikian noted that at the meeting Babayan told him that during the initial stage of his arrest “he had been injected”. “I must say that accusations should not be based on the testimony of the accused only”, said Hayrikian.
Paruyr Hayrikian assessed the moral-psychological atmosphere in RNK as rather favorable. In his words, “the public expects this trial to restore justice”. -0-