YEREVAN, DECEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS. The discussion and the final decision over the claim of returning the estates of Sis Catholicosate filed at the European Court of Human Rights can last some years, “Armenpress” reports Payam Akhavan, who is an international lawyer and a professor at McGill University in Montreal told in a press conference in Brussels.

“The European Court of Human Rights investigates 1000s of claims every year. Given the so much work to be done, we think that discussion and the final decision over our claim can last 4-5 years. But we have been waiting for justice for 100 years so we can wait for another 4-5 years”, the lawyer said.

Referring to the background of the case, he noted that the Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia Aram I has twice sent special letters to the then prime minister of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, in 2011 and 2013, demanding to return the estates of the Sis Catholicosate but his letters have remained unanswered. Later, when the case was submitted to the Constitutional Court of Turkey, it even decided not to proceed with the case. The lawyer told that Turkey banned the examination of the documents of the ownership of the Sis Catholicosate. “We were not allowed to see in what form it is registered. I am convinced they banned it since they have something to hide”, he stated.

To the question of an Egyptian reporter if the relations between the EU and Turkey, also conditioned by the issues of migrants, can have a negative impact on the investigation of the case, Payam Akhavan expressed conviction that political issues can have no impact on this particular case. The lawyer also reminded that up till now Turkey has implemented ECHR’s decisions.

“This case is of special importance. The arguments brought to the court will result in major questions. It will be within the interest of the Turkish Government to solve that issue before the court will do that”, Payam Akhavan said.

Journalists from different countries, as well as French-speaking members of the Brussels Parliament attended the press conference.