Prosecutors have yet to clarify whether Samvel Karapetyan may deliver video address, lawyer says

Prosecutors have not responded to a formal request seeking clarification on whether businessman and philanthropist Samvel Karapetyan is permitted to deliver a video address, his attorney says.

Karapetyan, who has been named a prime ministerial candidate of his Strong Armenia party, is currently under house arrest on charges of calling for the seizure of power in Armenia dismissed by his lawyers and experts as politically motivated.

In a statement posted on Facebook on Wednesday, attorney Aram Vardevanyan said that if media outlets receive  an incomplete notice from the Probation Service, they should disregard it, arguing that the authority to assess such matters and their legal consequences lies with investigative and prosecutorial officials.

“The question is simple: Is Samvel Karapetyan allowed to deliver a video address or not? The answer presumes either yes or no,” Vardevanyan said. “To date, the Prosecutor General’s Office has not responded to this simple question to date, while the investigative body had again rejected the request in a new petition, stating that it cannot answer the question.”

Vardevanyan called for an end to Karapetyan’s political persecution, the lifting of an unlawful preventive measure or a clear response from the Prosecutor’s Office and the investigative body regarding whether Karapetyan may issue a video address.

Citing ethical considerations, Vardevanyan did not publicize the correspondence and responses exchanged with the authorities.