Killed Soldier Artak Nazaryan’s Trial Postponed as Defendant was Not in Court

The trial in the case of Artak Nazaryan was to have resumed in the Tavush District Court of First Instance yesterday; however, it was postponed as one of the defendants, fellow serviceman Harutyun Kirakosyan, was not present in court.

Recall, Nazaryan, 30, commander of a rifle platoon and head of a military base in Tavush, died suddenly on July 27, 2010. The defense ministry claimed it was a suicide; however, according to The Armenian Observer Blog, 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. Deputy of the military base where Nazaryan was employed, Captain Hakob Manukyan, as well as fellow soldiers Mkhitar Mkhitaryan, Adibek Hovhannisyan and Harutik (Harutyun) Kirakosyan are named as the accused in the case.

Earlier, Nazaryan’s mother, Hasmik Hovhannisyan, told Epress.am that she appealed to Armenia’s defense minister to move the trial of her son’s case from the city of Berd (located 211 kms from Yerevan) to the Armenian capital, and if this is not possible, then to provide cars (or taxis) to Nazaryan’s family to go to Berd.

As told to Epress.am by Helsinki Association for Human Rights representative Arman Veziryan, after the court session, Nazaryan’s family was told that moving the trial to either Yerevan or even Idjevan, which is closer to Berd, is not possible.

Judge Samvel Mardanyan set the next court date for Oct. 3 at 3 pm.