OCTOBER 27 CASE: WITNESS OF PARLIAMENT’S TERRORIST ACT DEMANDS JUSTICE, COMPENSATION AND APOLOGY
Siranuysh Gevorgyan

ArmeniaNow reporter
Human rights | 13.05.10 | 15:33

Badalyan says he has no illusions of winning the lawsuit in Armenia.

A witness and one-time suspect in the October 27, 1999 Armenian
Parliament assassinations that killed six government officials
continues to demand punishment for authorities responsible for his
torture during detainment in connection with the terrorists action.

Nairi Badalyan, a former journalist, and in 1999 director of ‘Logos’
Political Research Center, became an October 27 case witness,
because that day he, as he says, "had the misfortune" of meeting
Nairi Hunanyan, the organizer of the murders. Badalyan was also the
last person who that day talked to NA Speaker Karen Demirchyan and
also was considered a key figure in the political link of Demirchyan
and Prime Minister Vazgen Sargsyan (also murdered in the attack).

Badalyan was charged with complicity in the deaths, but in June 2000
his case was quashed. He later moved to the United States, where he
was granted political asylum.

In 2002, Badalyan filed a lawsuit charging that he was illegally
detained and that he was tortured. For eight years, he has been told
that the investigation of the case is ongoing.

"According to the legislation of Armenia, a criminal case cannot last
more than 1.5 years," Badalyan says.

In January, this year, Badalyan appealed against "the inaction of
the investigative agency and the illegal actions" at Yerevan’s Court
of First Instance. The court admitted that he had been tortured, but
his appeal was dismissed without mentioning its reason in the decision.

Now Badalyan has appealed the verdict of the Court of First Instance
to the Appeals Court, where he also is demanding compensation
from the State, plus an apology from the President of Armenia,
Prosecutor-General of Armenia, Chief Police Officer, and Chief of
Military Police Office.

"I have no illusions, believing that my claims will be upheld,"
Badalyan says adding that he simply wants to apply to all legal means
in Armenia, so that he may later be able to appeal to the International
Court of Human Rights.