Five lawyers to take on activist Edgar Ghazaryan's defense

The Five Human Rights Defenders Initiative will provide legal defense for public and political activist Edgar Ghazaryan, who is facing charges for his critical remarks about judges.

"The prosecution of opposition figure Edgar Ghazaryan is an attempt to introduce a new illegal tool for suppressing criticism, which is not prohibited by traditional democratic standards," the five lawyers said in a statement on Saturday.

"If successful, this could be used to target anyone holding opposition views. Therefore, the Five Human Rights Defenders Initiative considers it crucial to prevent this attempt through public awareness, legal arguments and other means prescribed by law.

"Thus, with Edgar Ghazaryan's approval and consent, we have decided to take on his defense as a team," reads the statement.