Murder Trial Resumes: Prosecution Asks for 15 Years’ Imprisonment for Accused

The trial of the May 12, 2010 murder of 23-year-old Khachik Mkrtchyan resumed on Saturday at the Court of General Jurisdiction of First Instance of Arabkir and Kanaker-Zeytun Administrative Districts of Yerevan. In presenting his arguments, prosecutor Artur Davtyan opted for imprisonment for all youth implicated in the case. Considering Vram Baghdasaryan as the accused in the murder trial, the prosecutor, however, only cited as evidence the testimonies of relatives of another accused, Arsen Aharonyan.

 

Recall, Aharonyan is the nephew of former Arabkir district governor Hovhannes Shahinyan, who is also implicated in the murder trial. He admitted his guilt, only to refuse to testify afterwards.

 

The prosecution asked for the following terms of imprisonment for the accused: Vram Baghdasaryan, 15 years; Arsen Aharonyan, 6 years; Petros Grigoryan, 3 years (however, he is subject to amnesty); Artur Pokharyan, 5 years; Haik Sandaljyan, 5 years; and Davit Sandaljyan, 4 years.

 

After the prosecution presented its case, Vram Baghdasaryan’s attorneys asked for 20 days to prepare their defense, while Arsen Aharonyan and Petros Grigoryan’s attorneys said 10 days was sufficient. The next court date was set for Oct. 4 at 12 pm.

 

After the court session, one of Vram Baghdasaryan’s attorneys, Nina Karapetyants, said that the prosecution’s case was atypical as it was exclusively based on the testimonies of the relatives of Hovhannes Shahinyan’s sister’s son.

 

“Let me also say that their testimonies were given at different times and their testimonies contradict one another — they give contradictory testimonies during the investigation and in court. This is absurd. There is no proof apart from the relatives’ testimonies, and to accuse and condemn a man to 15 years’ imprisonment [based on this] — I don’t even know what to describe it as. Furthermore, Arsen Aharonyan initially admitted his guilt.

 

“Basically, the prosecution was wrong. One time the same charge on the same grounds was made to Arsen Aharonyan; then, on the same grounds, after the relatives changed their testimonies, a new charge was made to Vram Baghdasaryan,” she said.