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Court Examined Letters Written by the Late Zaruhi Petrosyan

The trial in which Yanis Sarkisov is accused in the murder of Zaruhi Petrosyan resumed today at the Court of General Jurisdiction in the city of Masis. Two letters written by Petrosyan — one written with her right hand; the other, with her land — were examined in court today.

 

Women’s Resource Center of Armenia (WRCA) volunteer Knarik Mkrtchyan told Epress.am that a long discussion took place in court: the issue of whether Petrosyan’s wrists were fractured was discussed, using the letters as a basis. The defense then motioned for the judge to withdraw from the case, explaining that the court did not provide them with the necessary documents for them to take to the Court of Cassation.

 

The attorney overruled the motion, saying the necessary documents were provided. The plaintiff expressed its agreement with the judge, after which the defense accused the judge of making a biased decision.

 

The trial was postponed till Sept. 30, at which point the forensic doctor who examined Petrosyan’s body will be invited to testify.

 

Recall, 20-year-old Petrosyan died on Oct. 1, 2010 as a result of repeated psychological and physical abuse at the hands of her husband (Sarkisov) and his mother. Her child, who is a minor, is currently in an orphanage, under state care. Subsequently, a group of 7 local NGOs formed the Coalition to Stop Violence Against Women in Armenia and are keeping a close eye on the case.