"I have defended Children of Christ for 45 years, and I have never seen this...this is a show trial."
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Attorney Robert Amsterdam held a press conference this morning regarding attacks on philanthroper Samvel Karapetyan and the Armenian Apostolic Church. We paraphrase his comments below.
"This is transparently a political case, and any trials that take place here would be some form of show trial...this type of trial originated from a prosecutor with connections to the Prime Minister, and based on wrong interpretations of the language. This is shocking. There can be no logical inference that the charges could be maintained in a court of law. They are outrageous.
"The executive arm of the country should not be involved. The Prime Minister threatened and taunted the defendant, and said he would apply full power of the state.
"Involvement of the Prosecutor General is irregular.
"The public nature of mass police deployed to the philanthropy of the defendant is shameless.
"What country goes after a man who is mourning his father? It is shocking, in a Christian country, to target a man in this sensitive period and put him in jail.
"This is a government that initiated the process of house arrest. He is nearing 60 in the hottest part of the summer. This is a politically vengeful act that has no place in a democracy.
"This catch all phrase of money laundering is simply dressing up the charges to attempt to gain legitimacy.
"Look at the history of the judges that are assigned. I don't know enough but I ask those in Armenia to look at the choice of judges.
"It is very clear this is a political case and we will see a show trial, and the governement needs to reassess to the global political community as their behavior will be brought up with political partners and international legal forums, to bring up the attacks from the church.
"You cannot separate this case from the government attacks on the church and demands from the secular authority to change the leadership of the church.
"When the state invades houses of worship, it is a state that is demanding total control. In a post Soviet state, this can only cause danger and concern.
"I have defended children of Christ for 45 years; it is rare for me to see what is happening in Armenia.
"This behavior cannot be normalized. The attacks on the Catholicos cannot be allowed in a civil society.
"This is a moment for peaceful discussions, they do not belong in a criminal court."
