DID NOT DEMAND PUNISHMENT

/arshaluys-hakobyan
06:02 pm | October 06, 2009 | Politics

Prosecutor Hunan Babayan asked for two working days to prepare an
indictment on the case of Helsinki Association observer Arshaluys
Hakobyan. According to Babayan, there was a need for adequacy and the
indictment had to be prepared in a duly manner. Judge Gagik Avetisyan
scheduled the next trial for October 16 at 12 p.m.

According to the case materials, on June 5 policemen paid a visit to
Hakobyan’s house to hand him a notice from the Special Investigative
Service. Hakobyan was drunk, cursed them, signed in the wrong spot,
didn’t follow the policemen’s instructions and started beating them. As
a result, he was taken to the police station by two police officers
from the Kentron police division who arrived to the scene. Arshaluys
Hakobyan was charged based on the testimonies of four policemen, by
Part 1 of Article 316 of the Criminal Code, that is, "violence against
a state representative". Today Gagik Avetisyan released the response to
the question connected to the time of arrest. "The correction of the
time of arrest is clearly stated," said the judge to the prosecutor
and advised the latter to treat the matter seriously later on.

Let us mention that in the notice it is stated that Arshaluys Hakobyan
was taken to the police station at 2:30 p.m., and 1 p.m. in the case
materials. Based on the materials, the police checked how drunk he was
at 2:30 p.m. Gayane Khachatryan also presented the conclusion of the
medical examination where it is stated that he had received blows on
different parts of his body. Arshaluys Hakobyan also presented the
photos where it is seen that he had been hit on the head.

The judge suspected that that could have been Arshaluys’s head. Today
advocate Arshaluys Hakobyan also answered the judge’s questions and
said: "They didn’t come to give me a notice, but to arrest me. However,
they needed a reason for arresting me." Arshaluys Hakobyan said
that he doesn’t smoke at home at all because he has children and
the police thought that I was smoking after seeing a cigarette box
on the table. The advocate added that Arshaluys Hakobyan’s arrest is
connected to the elections for Yerevan’s Council of Elders. Arshaluys
Hakobyan had observed the May 31 elections and had spoken out against
the violations.