TWO PERSONS ACCUSED OF COMMITTING VIOLENCE AGAINST POLICEMEN ON MARCH 1 SENTENCED TO IMPRISONMENT, ONE OF THEM GIVEN SUSPENDED SENTENCE

Noyan Tapan
April 14, 2008

YEREVAN, APRIL 14, NOYAN TAPAN. The court of Yerevan’s Kentron
and Nork-Marash communities on April 14 made rulings on charge of
committing violence against a representative of the authorities in
Liberty Square of Yerevan on March 1. The court granted the petitions
of the defendants Mesrop Zakarian and Raji Petrosian to conduct an
accelerated court examination.

Based on the ruling of the court (chairman – Judge Ruben Apinian),
Mesrop Zakarian, 46, of the city of Vanadzor, was given 2 years’
suspended sentence with 2 years’ probation. He was found guilty
under the RA Criminal Code’s Article 316 part 1: violence against a
representative of the authorities.

According to the indictment, the defendant did not obey the legal
demand of policemen: to allow to check the information about existence
of arms and ammunition in Liberty Square. Moreover, according to
the indictment, by pushing, hitting and pulling the policemen,
the defendant committed violence not threatening their health or
lives. The defence lawyer Beniamin Minasian stated in his speech
that the defendant admitted his guilt and repented saying that he
"fell a victim to rallies of Levon Ter-Petrosian".

Based on the ruling of the court (chairwoman – Judge Gayane
Karakhanian), Raji Petrosian, 30, of the city of Maralik, was
sentenced to imprisonment of 2 years and 6 months. He was found
guilty for committing violence against policemen in Liberty Square
early March 1. R. Petrosian was not given suspended sentence as he
was twice convicted in the past: for military service evasion and for
obtaining and using drugs. The indicated article of the Criminal Code
envisages imprisonment of a maximum of 5 years.