CRUEL "VICTIM" OF MARCH 1

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[03:07 pm] 04 February, 2009

Armenian courts have passed the toughest sentence upon 30-year-old Ara
Hovhannisyan detainees in connection with March 1-2 unrest in Yerevan
City. The son of an Arsakhi war veteran and commander of the Kilikia
detachment Smbat Hovhannisyan was sentenced to a 9-year imprisonment.

Ara Hovhannisyan is charged with Articles 225 and 238 of Armenia’s
Criminal Code. He is sued for applying violence against the head of
Gugark’s police department Grisha Ayvazyan and seizing a Makarov gun
on March 1.

Ara Hovhannisyan was arrested on June 7, 2008. Later in the day the
Prosecutor’s Office issued a release stating that the accused had
pled guilty. Hovhannisyan had also confessed that immediately after
the incident he had thrown the Makarov into the Sevan-Hrazdan-Ararat
water-pipe.

On June 16, 2008 Ara Hovhannisyan informed Human Rights Defender Armen
Harutyunyan that he had been forced to shoulder the blame. But the
Prosecutor General paid no attention to Hovhannisyan’s statement and
instead of ordering an inquest into the case he instructed to toughen
Hovhannisyan’s punishment.

According to eye-witnesses on March 1 a Vilis police car drove
to the mob at a terrific speed knocking down three. This made the
demonstrators furious. They attacked the driver and beat him up.

Ara’s mother hopes her son will soon be set free. Ara hasn’t lived
in Armenia for a few years and visited his parents on the tragic days.

"My son is innocent. He has committed no crime. Why should he be
sentenced to nine years’ imprisonment?" said Anahit Tonoyan.

Ara is an only child in the family. The parents have already
appealed to the European Court of Human Rights. They say even the
beaten policeman didn’t identify their son in his testimony. They
lack circumstantial evidence and have been unable to prove my son’s
guilt. I am determined to struggle to the end," said Ara’s mother.

Note that the Prosecutor’s Office has requested the Appellate Court
to extend Hovhannisyan’s sentence for another four years but the
request has been turned down.