Ruben Martirosyan: witnesses in case of death of contract officer Artak Nazaryan in Armenia are pressed

In Armenia, the today's court session on the case of the death of contract officer Artak Nazaryan in summer of 2010, made a decision to postpone the process for May 22 because absence of witnesses. The victim party believes that witnesses are being pressured.

The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent has reported that the officer Artak Nazaryan, according to investigators, was incited to suicide and shot himself dead from the service weapon on July 27, 2010. In the course of the investigation into the criminal case, colleagues of Artak Nazaryan were detained, and charges were filed against them. The family members of the deceased officer claimed that the preliminary investigation had been conducted with violations of the law and represented an attempt to hush up the true cases of the death of the Lieutenant.

Two witnesses Arthur Mkrtchyan and Arman Mnatsakanyan did not appear at the today's court session. To explain the absence of Arthur Mkrtchyan, the certificate from the police department of the city of Sisian was presented the court, stating that at that time, Arthur Mkrtchyan was in Nagorno-Karabakh and that his presence at the next court session would be ensured. Regarding the absence of Arman Mnatsakanyan, the court was also presented with the certificate from the police, stating that Arman Mnatsakanyan left Armenia to undergo medical treatment, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports.

The court decided to postpone the session for May 22. At the same time, the court instructed the investigatory authorities to carry out measures aimed at ensuring the attendance of witnesses at the trial.

Let us remind you that it has been already the second postponement of the court session because of absence of the witness Arthur Mkrtchyan.

Lawyer Ruben Martirosyan, the representative of the victim's successor, also stated that "the history of the disease of Arman Mnatsakanyan has been completely falsified, all that is nonsense."

"During several months, we communicated with him and saw that he was a very lively, active, strong, and healthy young man, who was forced to give false testimony, and he did not want to do that. The same can be said about Arthur Mkrtchyan, the other witness, who failed to appear today. I believe that they again force him to give false testimony, and he did not want to do that. He is the only witness, who dared to rise up during the investigation and to declare that testimonies were beaten out of the witnesses by means of torture," emphasized Ruben Martirosyan.

Tsovinar Nazaryan, the sister of Artak Nazaryan, the victim's successor, has expressed the similar opinion: "I am convinced that the witnesses are being pressured to conceal the facts."

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that in the course of the court session on the case of the death of Artak Nazaryan held on February 14, the victim party demanded to challenge the Judge. The motion was not granted. At the court session held on February 22, a video record with testimony of soldier Arman Mnatsakanyan, the main witness, given earlier, was shown, since he himself was not present at the court session.