Prosecutor general denies media allegations claiming that pressure was placed on former chief of police before his death
25.09.2019,
15:41
Armenia's Prosecutor General Arthur Davtyan denied today media allegations claiming that pressure was placed on former chief of police Hayk Harutyunyan before his death.
YEREVAN, September 25. /ARKA/. Armenia's Prosecutor General Arthur Davtyan denied today media allegations claiming that pressure was placed on former chief of police Hayk Harutyunyan before his death.
Former head of the Armenian police Hayk Harutyunyan was found shot to death in his home in Bjni, a village 45 km north of Yerevan. A pistol and a spent cartridge were found next to him, according to a statement released by the Investigative Committee. A criminal case was opened on the grounds of part 1 of Article 110 (incitement to suicide) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia.
Harutyunyan was a key witness in the ongoing investigation into the March 2008 post-election violence in Yerevan, which left eight opposition protesters and two police servicemen dead. Two Armenian news websites cited anonymous sources alleging that moments before his death Harutyunyan complained to another person that he was being pressured by the authorities to give false incriminating testimony against ex-president Robert Kocharyan.
"I think that everyone who heard this version (that prosecutor general placed pressure on Harutyunyan) realized that it was an order to claim that prosecutor general and the head of the Investigative Committee can talk to all the witnesses in the case and, moreover, even place pressure on them. Everyone who knows me understands that this is impossible, and the position of the Prosecutor General, both in legal and moral terms, does not allow this," Davtyan said.
Asked whether the death of Harutyunyan will affect the investigation of the March 1 case, the Prosecutor General said Harutyunyan was involved in the case as a witness, his testimonies were handed to the judicial authorities, moreover, they were published by the media.
He said also that the investigation of the case is very active, and every detail and important event will be of great importance in developing various versions and deepening the investigation in separate directions.
"Details will be disclosed, it may take time," said Davtyan.
Ex-president Robert Kocharyan is a defendant in a case that dates back to late February and early March 2008 following the disputed presidential election, when then prime minister Serzh Sargsyan was declared the winner, angering the opposition, that was led by the first Armenian president Levon Ter-Petrosyan who set off 10 days of nonstop protests that led to a crackdown on March 1, in which 10 people were killed and more than 200 injured.
The same charge is brought against Yuri Khachaturov, who had been the chief of the Yerevan garrison at the time of the bloody events. Khachaturov was detained by then released on a 5 million dram bail. Also former defense minister Mikael Harutyunyan is wanted by the law-enforcement authorities as a defendant in the case. He is accused of illegally using the Armenian armed forces against opposition supporters who demonstrated in Yerevan in the wake of the disputed presidential election held in February 2008. The other two defendants in the case are Seyran Ohanyan, who was chief of staff of armed forces in 2008 and Armen Gevorkyan, then chief of staff of Kocharyan's administration. -0—
Former head of the Armenian police Hayk Harutyunyan was found shot to death in his home in Bjni, a village 45 km north of Yerevan. A pistol and a spent cartridge were found next to him, according to a statement released by the Investigative Committee. A criminal case was opened on the grounds of part 1 of Article 110 (incitement to suicide) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia.
Harutyunyan was a key witness in the ongoing investigation into the March 2008 post-election violence in Yerevan, which left eight opposition protesters and two police servicemen dead. Two Armenian news websites cited anonymous sources alleging that moments before his death Harutyunyan complained to another person that he was being pressured by the authorities to give false incriminating testimony against ex-president Robert Kocharyan.
"I think that everyone who heard this version (that prosecutor general placed pressure on Harutyunyan) realized that it was an order to claim that prosecutor general and the head of the Investigative Committee can talk to all the witnesses in the case and, moreover, even place pressure on them. Everyone who knows me understands that this is impossible, and the position of the Prosecutor General, both in legal and moral terms, does not allow this," Davtyan said.
Asked whether the death of Harutyunyan will affect the investigation of the March 1 case, the Prosecutor General said Harutyunyan was involved in the case as a witness, his testimonies were handed to the judicial authorities, moreover, they were published by the media.
"He was to be summoned to court to testify and both the representatives of the prosecution and the lawyers could have asked him questions, but this opportunity exists no longer," Davtyan said.
"Details will be disclosed, it may take time," said Davtyan.
Ex-president Robert Kocharyan is a defendant in a case that dates back to late February and early March 2008 following the disputed presidential election, when then prime minister Serzh Sargsyan was declared the winner, angering the opposition, that was led by the first Armenian president Levon Ter-Petrosyan who set off 10 days of nonstop protests that led to a crackdown on March 1, in which 10 people were killed and more than 200 injured.
The same charge is brought against Yuri Khachaturov, who had been the chief of the Yerevan garrison at the time of the bloody events. Khachaturov was detained by then released on a 5 million dram bail. Also former defense minister Mikael Harutyunyan is wanted by the law-enforcement authorities as a defendant in the case. He is accused of illegally using the Armenian armed forces against opposition supporters who demonstrated in Yerevan in the wake of the disputed presidential election held in February 2008. The other two defendants in the case are Seyran Ohanyan, who was chief of staff of armed forces in 2008 and Armen Gevorkyan, then chief of staff of Kocharyan's administration. -0—
