At today’s continuing trial of Garo Yegnukian, a prominent opponent of the current government who’s been held in pre-trial detention in Armenia since July 2016, the defendant and his attorney petitioned the court to detach his case from that of members of the Sasna Dzrer armed group who seized a Yerevan police building in July of 2016.

The charges levied against Yegnukian have nothing to do with illegal arms possession or the taking of hostages; charges faced by the others.

Rather, Yegnukian is charged with making five telephone calls (three to his wife) that law enforcement has deemed “in support” of the Sasna Dzrer group.

Tigran Hayrapetyan, Yegnukian’s lawyer, argues that the phone conversations can in no way be regarded as facilitating the seizure of the police building and that the authorities deliberately attached his client’s case to that of the Sasna Dzrer members now on trial for illegal arms possession, seizing state property, and hostage taking.

Hayrapetyan also accused the judge of not being impartial.