Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09YEREVAN329
2009-05-15 14:00:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Yerevan
Cable title:
ONE OUT, SIX TO GO: AUTHORITIES RELEASE A "TRIAL
how-toVZCZCXRO5472 RR RUEHDBU RUEHLN RUEHSK RUEHVK RUEHYG DE RUEHYE #0329 1351400 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 151400Z MAY 09 FM AMEMBASSY YEREVAN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9051 INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATION WASHINGTON DC
UNCLAS YEREVAN 000329
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREL KDEM KJUS AM
SUBJECT: ONE OUT, SIX TO GO: AUTHORITIES RELEASE A "TRIAL
OF SEVEN" DETAINEE BY REASON OF INSANITY
UNCLAS YEREVAN 000329
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREL KDEM KJUS AM
SUBJECT: ONE OUT, SIX TO GO: AUTHORITIES RELEASE A "TRIAL
OF SEVEN" DETAINEE BY REASON OF INSANITY
1. (SBU) On May 13 Shant Harutyunian, one of the prominent
"Trial of Seven" political detainees before that case was
broken up on April 1, 2009, was released from prison where he
had been detained since his arrest on April 10, 2008. The
court dropped the charges after finding that Harutyunian was
not of sound mind (non compos mentis) during the events of
March 1, 2008, for which he was charged for organizing "mass
disturbances," and attempting to "usurp state power." The
ruling followed completion of court-ordered medical and
psychological evaluation. Harutyunian had been held in
Nubarashen mental hospital since March 17 for this evaluation.
2. (SBU) Harutyunian complained to the media after his
release that authorities had invented his alleged mental
instability as a pretext to keep him from appearing in open
court, which he contended would have been an embarrassment to
them. The Armenian National Congress's legal representative
also expressed doubt about the ruling, commenting that
Harutyunian was "eccentric" but not insane.
3. (SBU) COMMENT: We suspect the authorities seized on
Harutyunian's reputation for being "a little bit crazy" as a
face-saving pretext to let him go, thereby reducing to six
the number of high-profile defendants who had formerly been
grouped together into the infamous "Trial of Seven." There
were some reports that Harutyunian's questionable mental
stability had deteriorated into outright paranoia during his
prison stay, but the court's ruling was not that Harutyunian
was not of sound mind to stand trial, but that he was not in
his right mind during the alleged events. This move
continues the authorities pattern of gradually getting out
from under the "political prisoner" problem in the court of
international opinion, while still trying hard not to do
anything that might be seen as compromising the official
narrative of events for the 3/1/08 violence -- a narrative
that puts 100 percent of the blame on the "radical
opposition."
YOVANOVITCH
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREL KDEM KJUS AM
SUBJECT: ONE OUT, SIX TO GO: AUTHORITIES RELEASE A "TRIAL
OF SEVEN" DETAINEE BY REASON OF INSANITY
1. (SBU) On May 13 Shant Harutyunian, one of the prominent
"Trial of Seven" political detainees before that case was
broken up on April 1, 2009, was released from prison where he
had been detained since his arrest on April 10, 2008. The
court dropped the charges after finding that Harutyunian was
not of sound mind (non compos mentis) during the events of
March 1, 2008, for which he was charged for organizing "mass
disturbances," and attempting to "usurp state power." The
ruling followed completion of court-ordered medical and
psychological evaluation. Harutyunian had been held in
Nubarashen mental hospital since March 17 for this evaluation.
2. (SBU) Harutyunian complained to the media after his
release that authorities had invented his alleged mental
instability as a pretext to keep him from appearing in open
court, which he contended would have been an embarrassment to
them. The Armenian National Congress's legal representative
also expressed doubt about the ruling, commenting that
Harutyunian was "eccentric" but not insane.
3. (SBU) COMMENT: We suspect the authorities seized on
Harutyunian's reputation for being "a little bit crazy" as a
face-saving pretext to let him go, thereby reducing to six
the number of high-profile defendants who had formerly been
grouped together into the infamous "Trial of Seven." There
were some reports that Harutyunian's questionable mental
stability had deteriorated into outright paranoia during his
prison stay, but the court's ruling was not that Harutyunian
was not of sound mind to stand trial, but that he was not in
his right mind during the alleged events. This move
continues the authorities pattern of gradually getting out
from under the "political prisoner" problem in the court of
international opinion, while still trying hard not to do
anything that might be seen as compromising the official
narrative of events for the 3/1/08 violence -- a narrative
that puts 100 percent of the blame on the "radical
opposition."
YOVANOVITCH