ACCORDING TO EUROPEAN COURT, RA CITIZEN IMPRISONED FOR 10 YEARS IS
DEPRIVED OF RIGHT OF FAIR TRIAL: CASE NOT RECONSIDERED AFTER FACT OF
TORTURE CERTIFIED

YEREVAN, JUNE 29, NOYAN TAPAN. The seven judges, with M. Zupanchich at
the head, of the European Court of Human Rights delivered a judgement
on June 28, according to which, Misha Haroutiunian, an RA citizen, who
was sentenced to ten years of imprisonment on the charge of killing his
fellow serviceman, has been deprived of the right of a fair trial. A
decision was also made concerning moral damage compensation within the
limits of four thousand euros.

Hayk Alumian, the lawyer of M. Haroutiunian, informed a Noyan Tapan
correspondent that the above-mentioned decision of the European Court
gives an opportunity to submit an application to the RA Court of Appeal
on criminal cases and claim a "not guilty" verdict on the basis of this
new circumstance. The lawyer can make use of this right during three
months.

It should also be mentioned that M. Haroutiunian was condemned to ten
years of imprisonment on the charge of killing his fellow serviceman on
December 4, 1998 by the verdict passed by the Court of First Instance
of the Syunik region on June 19, 2002. After serving 2/3 of his
sentence, M. Haroutiunian was set free. In parallel with the trial of
this case, the court also heard the criminal case filed against
collaborators of the Military Police. According to this case, M.
Haroutiunian and the two fellow servicemen who gave evidence against
him were submitted to torture by the collaborators of the police.
However, the assertion of the fact concerning torture did not become a
basis for the RA Court of Appeal on criminal and military cases to
reconsider the criminal case filed against M. Haroutiunian.