Armenia: advocates in Avetyan's death case state violations during inquiry

The advocates for the successor of the military doctor Vage Avetyan, who died after a fight in the "Harsnaqar" Restaurant in Yerevan, state their work is hampered and the case initiated on the fact of Avetyan's death by the Central Investigatory Department of the Armenian Police is considered with violations.

The advocates Tigran Egoryan and Lusine Akopyan state that the investigation of the criminal case was held with gross violations of the legislation.

"Vage Avetyan received wounds that led to complete and irreversible stop of brain activity, which from the viewpoint of the criminal law is equal to death. Regardless of the diagnosis, the conclusion of the forensic medical examination had a wrong statement, according to which Vage Avetyan had received severe bodily injuries that were life-threatening. Meanwhile, in this particular case these injuries resulted in victim's death. We disagreed and asked from the body of preliminary investigation to appoint a re-examination and clarify whether we were dealing with injuries that led to death or with traumas incompatible with life. The latter formulation is not only more accurate in describing the incident, but also radically changes the situation, because in this case the criminal proceeding falls under Part 2, Article 104 of the Russian Criminal Code, which implies from 20 years to life imprisonment. But the body of preliminary investigation rejected our motion," said Egoryan.

Egoryan and Akopyan have assured that they will fight with violations "to the end and at all instances."

So far, there are no investigators' comments on the claims of the successor's advocates.