June 9, 2006

Heritage Case Delayed for Three Days

Yerevan—The hearing of Heritage Party Chairman Raffi K. Hovannisian’s case against defendants Paronian Theater and the government’s Department on State Property Management (DSPM) reconvened today at the Court of First Instance of Yerevan’s Central and Nork-Marash communities, Judge Edward Avetisian presiding. The previous hearing, held on June 1, was postponed a second time for one week because Aram Ghlechian, the legal representative of defendant DSPM, had requested a continuance in order to study further the details of the claims made by Hovannisian.

Opening today’s hearing of the case, Judge Avetisian again presented the causes of action of the lawsuit, citing that it includes the plaintiff’s claims against both defendants to remove the unlawful encroachment upon the right of access, control, and usage of his property, as well as those which derive under the law by consequence of defendants’ nullification of contracts. Thereupon, following a brief recess, the judge urged the parties to settle the matter out of court and so ordered a three-day continuance for that purpose.

In compliance with the Court’s April 14 injunction against the defendant theater’s restriction of access to Hovannisian’s premises and property, bailiffs from the Service for Mandatory Execution of Judicial Acts (SMEJA) of the Ministry of Justice had reopened the Heritage Party headquarters on May 29. During the inspection of the latter it became clear that on March 8, exactly four days after the main office was put under lock and further access to it was blocked, someone had gained entry to the main computer where all information regarding the party, its membership and activities is maintained. With a call for an official investigation sent to the chief of police and attorney general regarding this second break-in at his headquarters, Hovannisian demanded that this incident be investigated thoroughly and its architects be brought to justice.

This, however, did not complete the saga. The SMEJA officials returned to Heritage’s office the same day, on May 29, commanding that the staff vacate the premises in order that the outside door, which had been unlocked by the very same officials just six hours before and in compliance with the ruling of the Court, be resealed. And this unlawful demand became a reality the next day, on May 30, when SMEJA bailiffs forcibly vacated the premises, evicting Hovannisian and his staff from the headquarters. All office doors, external and internal, were then sealed.

Hovannisian then filed a new suit against the SMEJA bailiffs and their supervisors “of all kinds,” demanding the immediate removal of their seals from his office doors and urging their criminal prosecution by the attorney general. The Heritage Party chairman also sent a letter to Armenia’s ombudsman, asking for the latter’s assistance in the restoration of his violated civil rights.