Epress.am News from Armenia
The trial of Armenian National Congress (HAK) youth activists that resumed Tuesday at the Court of General Jurisdiction of Kentron and Nork Marash Administrative Districts of Yerevan elicited several instances of laughter breaking out in the courtroom.
Recall, on Aug. 9, seven youth from the opposition bloc were detained after an incident with police near Yerevan’s Swan Lake. The next day they were arrested, while four — Areg and Vahagn Gevorgyan, David Kiramijyan and Sahak Muradyan — were released on Aug. 12 and then two more — Artak Karapetyan and Sargis Gevorgyan — were released later. The only one still detained is Tigran Araqelyan.
Police officers Voldya Grigoryan, Davit Melikyan and Varuzhan Gasparyan, named in the case as victims, gave testimonies in court yesterday. The first two witnesses described that on the day in question they had reprimanded a citizen who had taken his dog for a walk near Swan Lake without a muzzle. According to them, the incident took place after this, during which time the young men on trial tugged and pulled and cursed at them.
However when asked how and why the youth began to scuffle, the police were unable to provide any answers. Asked whether they tried to calm the youth, the witnesses answered in the affirmative, noting, however, that their efforts were in vain and the youth insulted them.
Asked what they said that was insulting, Davit Meliqyan said, “They were shouting, ay, impudent, rabiz-like police officers [rough translation from the original Armenian slang statement].”
Furthermore, David Melikyan mentioned that the dog was “bravn” (i.e. brownish) in color. Tigran Arakelyan’s representative, Vahe Grigoryan, asked Melikyan whether he considers the expression “impudent, rabiz-like” insulting, to which the police officer responded yes. Then the attorney asked whether “bravn” doesn’t mean “to be impudent, rabiz-like,” which elicited laughter in the courtroom.
Melikyan also said that during the scuffle, someone shouted, “People, come, join us, let’s eliminate these beret-wearers!” (Note: patrol officers on the beat wear red berets as part of their uniform.) According to the officer, during the scuffle, the youth grabbed onto their uniforms and the officers didn’t insult the activists.
After this statement, Tigran Araqelyan asked, “I was hanging from your clothes and you were calling me ‘esteemed citizen’?” The officer again answered in the affirmative, which again resulted in laughter in the courtroom.
In his testimony, Melikyan said that ordered by the commander, the officers detained those who were most “active” in the scuffle. Asked by Vahe Grigoryan how their liveliness was expressed, the witness said that Sargis Gevorgyan, Tigran Araqelyan and Davit Kiramijyan were “vividly active”.
During this examination, prosecutor Hakob Martirosyan intervened, asking what “vividly active” means. The officer explained they were speaking actively after which he said that “speaking actively” means to curse.
Asked by the defense whether, resulting from police actions, they saw Tigran Araqelyan lying on the ground, all three witnesses said they didn’t. Recall, the opposition youth had previously told the media, including Epress.am, that police officers were beating Artak Karapetyan and Tigran Araqelyan who were lying on the ground.
During his testimony, Varuzhan Gasparyan said he joined the incident after they were called quickly and immediately to the scene.
Gasparyan noted that in detaining Davit Kiramijyan, both fell to the ground, as a result of which he injured his leg and Kiramijyan’s forehead was scraped. In this, the officer blamed Kiramijyan.
This witness will examined by the prosecution and cross-examined by the defense at the next court session, which is set for Jan. 27 at 2 pm.