In Armenia, at trial on case of officer Artak Nazaryan's death, parties of process challenges Judge

Today, at the court session on the case of the death of contact officer Artak Nazaryan in Armenia, representatives of victims and defendants criticized the Judge's position and called it unfair. The parties have filed a motion to challenge the Judge. The Judge intends to announce the answer at the court session to be held on October 25.

The "Caucasian Knot" reported that investigators believe that Lieutenant Artak Nazaryan, who shot and killed himself on July 27, 2010, was driven to suicide by his colleagues.

At the beginning of the today's court session, Grant Gevorkyan and Armine Kasabokhlyan, the lawyers of Akop Manukyan, the principal defendant, filed a motion for repeated posthumous psychological examination of Artak Nazaryan. The court dismissed the motion.

In response, Grant Gevorkyan accused Judge Samvel Mardanyan, who chaired the court session, of prejudice.

The lawyer has also filed a motion to challenge the Judge.

The motion was supported by representatives of the victim party: Tsovinar Nazaryan, the sister of Artak Nazaryan and his successor, and human rights defender Ruben Martirosyan and lawyer Musheg Shushanyan, representatives of the successor. The representatives of the victim party also accused the Judge of prejudice, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports.

Judge Samvel Mardanyan intends to announce his decision about the motion on October 25.