RELATIVES OF LEVON GHULIAN DEMAND EXAMINATION OF REAL CIRCUMSTANCES OF HIS DEATH
Noyan Tapan
May 14 2007
YEREVAN, MAY 14, NOYAN TAPAN. "If the authorities do not assume
responsibilty in connection with the death of citizen Levon Ghulian in
the RA police criminal investigation department, the society will do
so," Larisa Alaverdian, executive director of the organization "Against
Legal Wilfulness", first ombudsperson of the RA, said. During a talk
with NT correspondent, she considered the incident as an example of
gross violation of human rights.
According to an official press release of the police, on May 12 Levon
Ghulian, 31, fell out of the window on the second floor of the Main
Department of the Criminal Investigation and died on the spot. On
that day he was invited to the deparment in order to give evidence
on the fact of the murder of "criminal authority" S. Vardanian.
This notorious murder was committed late May 9 in Yerevan’s Manandian
Street – before of the "Bolero" sauna. L. Ghulian was director of the
"Pandok" restaurant located in the front of this sauna and was one of
the witnesses in this case. According to reports of the Armenian press,
"the father of the killed "authority" is a friend of the policeman who
extracted evidence from L. Ghulian in such a "diligent" way that the
latter did not return from the police…" In the words of relatives of
L. Ghulian, he was thrown out of the window by a high-ranking police
official, who cruelly beat L. Ghulian during his questioning on the
scandalous murder case. They rule out the possibility that L. Ghulian
intended to run away. The relatives say that experts, who examined
L. Ghulian’s body in the mortuary, expressed an opinion that the
death resulted from a blow on the man’s head with a blunt object:
according to them, "such an injury cannot be caused as a result of
falling from the second floor."
On May 14, relatives of L. Ghulian staged a protest in front of the
RA government’s building, requesting that the prime minister Serge
Sargsian intervene and ensure an impartial investigation. Relatives of
the victim envisage to organize a protest in front of the RA Police’s
building on May 15.
In the words of L. Alaverdian, "in many cases, the elementary norm of
human rights protection is not fulfilled in Armenia." A witness in
a murder case is invited to the police without being sent a proper
notice, without a lawyer who may protect his rights. "For years, we
have said that our witnesses are defenceless," L. Alaverdian noted,
adding that the most fundamental human right – the right of life was
violated in the building of the law enforcement body.
The organization "Against Legal Wilfulness" demands that the RA police
chief at least show that he is able to follow all circumstances of
the case with the use of all means in his possession and to reveal
those guilty.