Epress.am News from Armenia
The Court of General Jurisdiction of Kotayk Marz (province) in Armenia issued its verdict today on the case of Vahan Khalafyan.
Recall that Khalafyan, 24, died while in police custody in April of this year. He and and three other local men had been detained on suspicion of stealing 1.5 million drams’ ($3,800) worth of goods. At the time of Khalafyan’s death, police said he had committed suicide; however, relatives rejected the claim: they said a forensic examination of Khalafyan’s body provided ample evidence of torture that they believe he suffered on April 13 at the police station in Charentsavan (about 40 kms north of Yerevan).
In July 2010, four police officers went on trial, with the main defendant, former police chief of criminal investigations at Charentsavan police department Ashot Harutyunyan, being charged with ill-treating Khalafyan, reports RFE/RL’s Armenian service.
The court today sentenced Harutyunyan to 8 years’ imprisonment, while Charentsavan Division officer Mores Hayrapetyan was awarded a two-year conditional sentence. Officers Gagik Davtyan and Garik Ghazaryan were proclaimed innocent in the case, reports Lragir.am.
While the verdict was being read in court, State Prosecutor Koryun Piloyan was absent. After the sentence was issued, relatives of both officer Ashot Harutyunyan and the victim, Vahan Khalafyan, who were not pleased with the ruling, said, both in court and outside of the courtroom, that the general prosecutor was bribed and trial proceeded along this course.