In Armenia, court sentences main defendant in case of Lieutenant Artak Nazaryan's death to 10 years of imprisonment

The court sentenced Captain Akop Manukyan, the main defendant in the case of the death of Officer Artak Nazaryan, to 10 years of imprisonment. Three other defendants in the case Senior Lieutenant Vaagn Airapetyan, soldiers Adibek Ovannisyan and Mkhitar Mkhitaryan were sentenced to 4 years of imprisonment, and soldier Arutik Kirakosyan to 3 years of imprisonment.

According to the investigators, Lieutenant Nazaryan, who shot and killed himself on July 27, 2010, was driven to suicide. In the criminal case, five colleagues of Artak Nazaryan were detained. The main defendant is Captain Akop Manukyan, direct commander of Artak Nazaryan, Deputy Battalion Commander.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that at the court session held on March 15, prosecutor asked to sentence Akop Manukyan to 13 years of imprisonment. The prosecutor asked to sentence the other defendants to 2-4 years of imprisonment. In their final statements, soldiers Arutik Kirakosyan, Mkhitar Mkhitaryan, and Adibek Ovannisyan, and Captain Akop Manukyan, the main defendant, Captain Akop Manukyan, asked to acquit them and pleaded not guilty.

In accordance with the verdict of the court pronounced today, Captain Akop Manukyan, Deputy Battalion Commander, was found guilty under several articles of the Criminal Code of Armenia: Part 2 of Article 360 (insult of a military man), Part 1 of Article 365 (violation of rules of combat duty or military service), Part 1 of Article 375 (abuse of power, abuse of power or failure to act), and Part 2 of Article 375, and he was sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment.

The defendants Senior Lieutenant Vaagn Airapetyan, soldiers Adibek Ovannisyan and Mkhitar Mkhitaryan were found guilty under Part 2 of Article 358 (committing violent acts against chief) of the Criminal Code of Armenia and sentenced to 4 years of imprisonment. The defendant soldier Arutik Kirakosyan was found guilty under Part 1 of Article 358 and sentenced to 3 years of imprisonment. Besides, with respect to the latter, the court decided to apply the Law "On amnesty" adopted by the Parliament on May 26, 2011, and dedicated to the 20th anniversary of Armenia's independence and release him from serving his sentence.

When Judge Samvel Mardanyan was reading the verdict out, the audience could hear the cries of the defendants' relatives: "Shame!" Grachya Ovannisyan, the father of the convicted Adibek Ovannisyan cried: "What my child did?" The mother the convicted Adibek Ovannisyan fainted after the verdict had been pronounced. Bailiffs called an ambulance, and the woman was rendered necessary medical care, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports.

"I intend to challenge the verdict in the other courts," said Levon Pogosyan, the advocate of the convicted Vaagn Airapetyan.

Today, in turn, the party of victim Artak Nazaryan has disseminated a message, which notes that, despite the official version, "the victim party is confident that the murder occurred, and there is enough evidence." In particular, according to the information of the victim party, "no investigation was carried out and it was not revealed, who and how inflicted numerous injuries to the body of Artak Nazaryan six hours prior to his death, with whom and under what circumstances Artak Nazaryan took alcoholic drinks on an empty stomach 1-1.5 hours prior to his death, and what reason caused thunders and threats of the Company Commander voiced to Artak Nazaryan several hours prior to his death. No fingerprints were found on the submachine gun of Artak Nazaryan, all 120 rounds received by him were in place, and another shell was investigated instead of one found at the place."

"After Artak Nazaryan's death, his colleagues were unlawfully arrested and were kept at the detention facility of the military police of the city of Berd for 9-25 days, and during that time, they gave false testimony under pressure and violence. 1.5-year legal proceedings revealed numerous cases of lawlessness and violations that had been committed by the investigatory body and that had the only one goal to prove that the incident was a suicide and to hide the real culprits of the Artak Nazaryan's death. The trial failed to contribute to the revelation of the truth," stresses the statement of Tsovinar Nazaryan, the sister of the victim and his successor, and her representatives advocate Musheg Shushanyan and human rights defender Ruben Martirosyan. The statement also emphasizes that the victims are not going to come to the last trial, since they express their disbelief to the Judge.

Tsovinar Nazaryan acknowledged to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent her intention to appeal to all the courts of Armenia, and, if necessary, to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR).