THE EXCITED VERDICT OF THE JUDGE

Lragir.am
18/12/09

What happened today at the court of general jurisdiction of the region
of Aragatsotn was a sensation for the Armenian judicial system. The
judge Ruzanna Barseghyan brought in a verdict of non-guilty to Sasha
Davtyan who was accused of raping his daughter.

The judge was reading the verdict with an excited tone of voice
"The investigation did not prove Sasha Davtyan’s guilt". But the
judge sentenced Davtyan to 4 years of imprisonment accusing him of
as if torturing his elder 22-year-old daughter T.D. Sasha Davtyan’s
both daughters came to the courtroom with white flowers in their hands
being sure that the court was going to justify their father. The trial
ended sadly for them. They threw away the flowers and were crying
hugging each other. "My father slapped me, this is our business. And
what about the investigator Ruben Vardanyan and others who tortured
us for days, will they answer?"

This is a question the answer of which need not only the poor girls
but also the whole society. The atmosphere of impunity in Armenia
is so much rooted that justice provokes a sensation. The point is
about the activities of the law enforcement bodies and in this case,
about Erik Poghosyan and Ruben Vardanyan who treated this poor family
the way they wanted for days running.

Sasha Davtyan’s lawyer Khanum Lazarian assessed as unprecedented
high this step of the judge Ruzanna Barseghyan. "Few judges could
resist prosecutor’s office repressions and justify a person".

The lawyer is going to appeal to the court of appeals.

UN representatives, journalistic groups from H1 and Shant TVs were
present at the court hearing process. Those present at the trial
did not rule out the possibility that the office of the prosecutor
general may start persecuting the judge.