JUDICIAL ENQUIRY ON VARDAN JHANGIRIAN’S CASE STARTS

Noyan Tapan

Ma y 20, 2008

YEREVAN, MAY 20, NOYAN TAPAN. The judicial enquiry on case against
Vardan Jhangirian accused of using dangerous violence to a power
representative started on May 19 at Yerevan Criminal Court. The
defendant, who is the brother of Gagik Jhangirian, the former RA Deputy
Prosecutor General, was walking on crutches. The court rejected the
defence party’s mediation on the withdrawal of the judge presiding
over at the sitting, as, according to the defence party, when making
a decision to fix a judicial enquiry the court committed a number of
violations, as well as "did not notice many violations committed by the
preliminary examination body, therefore, it cannot be impartial." The
court postponed examination of the the defence party’s mediations to
change the arrest chosen as a restraint, to invite the defendant’s
brother, Gagik Jhangirian, to the court as a witness.

According to the bill of indictment, on February 23, at about 23:00,
Vardan Jhangirian did not obey the demand of the Police group on
getting out of a car in the Argavand part of Yerevan-Etchmiadzin
highway, made resistance and used dangerous violence to a power
representative.

Rafik Muradian, aggrieved party on the case, started testifying. The
court sustained the defence party’s mediation to give time for
preparing the questions to be asked to the aggrieved party, and
postponed the judicial enquiry until May 26. Parallel with the sitting,
as well as during the trials, a great number of people had gathered
near the court building, voicing "Freedom!," "Free, Independent
Armenia!," "We Will Win!.

Two other cases scheduled in Yerevan Criminal Court did not take
place. The case against Gevorg Ghazarian and Vahagn Haroyan accused
of mass disorders and involvement in it failed due to the lawyer’s
illness, and the case against former freedom-fighter Nver Stepanian
accused of mass disorders failed due to giving time to the lawyer
from the Public Defender’s Office.

The cases’ examination is fixed for May 23 and 30, respectively.

The judicial enquiry on the case against former freedom-fighter
Khachik Gasparian accused of using not dangerous violence to
a power representative (part 1, Article 316) finished in the
general jurisdiction court of Yerevan’s Kentron and Nork-Marash
communities. Prosecutor Ashot Nadoyan insisted on the charge, mediating
to sentence the defendant to 2.5 years’ imprisonment, the defence party
will testify at the court sitting scheduled for May 22. And the stage
of witnesses’ interrogation on the case against Misak Hovakimian by
the same article started. It will continue on May 27.