On March 4 th the court hearing of Armenian-American philanthropists George and Caroline Najarian against the ruling of the General Prosecutor's office was again delayed for a week. This is the third hearing to be postponed for unknown reasons. At the last hearing, chairman Artur Poghosyan announced that the hearing was to be postponed because Judge Yeva Darbinyan was ill. This time the reason for delay was the "illness" of Artur Poghosyan.

As we have noted, President Robert Kocharyan has received dozens of letters from Armenia and the Diaspora expressing concern about the way the Armenian American philanthropists have been treated. On March 4 th , one such letter was addressed to President Kocharyan by academician Raphael Ghazaryan.

Dear Sir:

I beg you to put an end to the two-year-long disgraceful mockery towards philanthropists George and Carolann Najarians, the only apparent reason for which is the embezzlement of their property. Even an outsider would understand the catch and who's behind this saga while witnessing the fuss, the evident bias on behalf of the General Prosecutor's Office which can hardly be called delicate, the shy efforts by judges to please their superiors, the uncivilized treatment of attendants to judicial proceedings, and the delays of hearings to secure an empty hall through cutting attendance to deliver the ordered ruling. This is, after all, the gem of our "fair and independent" judicial system. The most frustrating thing, however, is that our Diaspora is following this shameful show, and it is not hard to understand what kind of conclusions they will make regarding investments. Doesn't this restrain you?