Lawyer: Political activist Edgar Ghazaryan charged for critical remarks

Public and political activist Edgar Ghazaryan has been charged over his critical comments about judges, his lawyer Ruben Melikyan announced. 

"The prosecution is aimed at silencing Edgar Ghazaryan," Melikyan said in a Facebook live video late on Friday.

Ghazaryan has been banned from leaving the country and could be placed under administrative supervision.

The charges fall under Article 490, which relates to defaming judges based on their professional activities. The offense carries a potential prison sentence of 2 to 5 years.

“We were denied the opportunity to present our arguments, which confirms that Edgar Ghazaryan has been charged for free speech,” the lawyer emphasized.

Melikyan stated that Ghazaryan’s remarks were purely critical and contained no profanity or insults. “The prosecution aims to suppress his voice and deprive him of the right to speak publicly,” he added.