Courtroom Altercation Caused Judge to Move Artak Nazaryan Trial from Yerevan to Idjevan: Parties Protest

Judge Samvel Mardanyan on Tuesday ruled to no longer hold in Yerevan the hearings in the case of rifle platoon commander Artak Nazaryan, who died suddenly while serving in Tavush marz (province) during peacetime on Jul. 27, 2010. The judge cited the reason for the unexpected decision an incident in court yesterday whereby parents of the accused entered into a verbal then physical altercation with witness Arman Mnatsakanyan’s father, which ended only after bailiffs intervened.  According to the judge, most of the accused and witnesses are from the province of Tavush and thus, the hearings will be moved to Idjevan, the provincial capital.

Recall, last year, the hearings were held in the Tavush city of Berd; however, parties in the trial, particularly the party representing the victim, requested that the court sessions be moved to Yerevan.

Representatives of both the accused and the victim were against the judge’s decision. “The victim’s party is from Yerevan, the prosecutors and attorneys are from Yerevan, and the accused are held in Yerevan, which is why we’re against this decision,” Ruben Martirosyan, representing the victim’s legal successor, told Epress.am.

Accused Mkhitar Mkhitaryan, Adibek Hovhannisyan, Harutik Kirakosyan, Hakob Manukyan and Vahagn Hayrapetyan, as well as representatives and family of the victim decided to go to the presidential residence to protest the judge’s decision. There, Head of the Presidential Oversight (Control) Service Hovhannes Hovsepyan came out and invited a few people from the group to come inside. Later, an ambulance arrived on the scene to provide assistance to Adibek Hovhannisyan’s mother, who had become unconscious.

The defense ministry claims that Artak’s death was a suicide; however, an autopsy and physical examination of the body conducted later revealed traces of violence on his face and body, inflicted upon the platoon commander 6 hours before his death.

During the trial, main witness Arman Mnatsakanyan has been consistently escorted to the courtroom by police, first by military police (when he was still in the service) and now by civilian police, which has led some parties to surmise that he is being pressured by the authorities.