Armenia appellate court begins hearing in case of former Masis mayor

A hearing in the case of former Masis Mayor Davit Hambardzumyan has begun at Armenia’s Criminal Court of Appeals.

The session is being presided over by judges Harutyun Petrosyan, Makar Kirakosyan and Armen Bektashyan.

At the start of the hearing, the prosecutor stated that he had not yet had sufficient time to familiarize himself with the case materials. He requested that the hearing be postponed in order to review the documents and to be properly prepared for the next session.

Hambardzumyan was previously convicted under Article 258.4 of Armenia’s former Criminal Code and sentenced to six years and three months in prison by Judge Zhora Chichoyan. His lawyers argue that the length of the sentence was deliberately chosen to prevent him from qualifying for an amnesty. They maintain that Hambardzumyan is innocent and say the case against him amounts to political persecution, citing his nomination as a prime ministerial candidate during a parliamentary no-confidence initiative against Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.