Epress.am News from Armenia
“Watching the unedited video footage of the incident at former Syunik regional governor Surik Khachatryan’s house, I am more convinced than ever that the last shot fired on Avetik Budaghyan, that resulted in his death, was shot from inside Khachatryan’s house,” the Budaghyan family’s attorney, Hayk Alumyan, told journalists today.
On Jun. 1, 2013, former Goris mayoral candidate Avetik Budaghyan was murdered outside the house of then Syunik regional governor Surik Khachatryan. Budaghyan’s brother, Colonel Artak Budaghyan, was wounded. A criminal investigation was launched, and Khachatryan’s son, Tigran, and his bodyguard, Zarzand Nikoghosyan, were arrested. Later, both men were released, as their actions were deemed as being in self-defense.
According to the attorney, that the shot came from above is proven not only by the forensic examination, according to which Budaghyan’s wound was slanted (that is, from top-down), but also that after one of the last shots was fired, the bullet hit the asphalt and made a spark, which can be seen in the video [AM].
Alumyan said that his client, when wounded, had falled to the ground, saw a spark from the window of the house and heard a noise. The attorney said that Surik Khachatryan has denied Budaghyan’s version of events. Asked how likely is it that the person shooting from the house was Surik Khachatryan, Alumyan said, in any case, according to the testimonies of Khachatryan’s party, there was no one else in the house except for the governor.
Alumyan showed the video to prove that his client displayed no aggression whatsoever; on the contrary, he tried to resolve the conflict. Thus, “it’s absurd to release the prisoners on the basis of self-defense.”
“For a long time Avetik Budaghyan doesn’t get out of the car, then, seeing his brother in a conflict, he comes out and pushes him and tries to get him away. There’s no aggression in his actions; in fact, he played the role of mediator,” said the attorney.
Recall, Avetik Budaghyan was accused of attempted murder, but proceedings were dropped because of his death. Alumyan is appealing the inspector’s decision establishing Budaghyan as guilty.