Appeals Court Sustains Lower Court Ruling: Yanis Sarkisov Guilty of Murder

The Court of Appeals yesterday ruled against Yanis Sarkisov’s appeal, leaving unchanged the Court of First Instance of Ararat and Vayots Dzor Districts’ ruling that Sarkisov is guilty for the murder of his wife, Zaruhi Petrosyan, and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. This news was conveyed by the Coalition to Stop Violence Against Women in Armenia.

Recall, 20-year-old Zaruhi Petrosyan died on Oct. 1, 2010, after ongoing abuse at the hands of her husband, Yanis Sarkisov. Zaruhi’s relatives have repeatedly said that her mother-in-law was an accessory to the crime. The court, however, did not find sufficient grounds to charge Sarkisov’s mother.

Sarkisov’s attorney had appealed the ruling, arguing that Zaruhi killed herself by drinking poison because her husband found out about her infidelity. The court, however, did not consider accurate this version of events.