Epress.am News from Armenia
Harutyun Sargsyan (pictured), accused of the murder of former Gyumri mayor Vardan Ghukasyan's son-in-law Karen Yesayan, announced in court yesterday that he will never admit to the crime he's being accused of, even after being beaten at the Gyumri police station, the Shirak regional police department, and the Yerevan penitentiary. Sargsyan's testimony was provided to Epress.am by his attorney, Lusine Sahakyan.
In his testimony in court, the accused claimed that head of the criminal intelligence unit Ashot Karapetyan, currently holding the position of Yerevan police chief, also beat him. That beating, Sargsyan said, was the worst, as he lost consciousness afterwards.
The accused claims he was beaten by Gyumri police officers on Apr. 12: "In one of the offices of the police, there were 4–5 people. They asked me if I had anything to do with the mayor's daughter and Karen Yesayan. It was quite late when 7–8 masked people came into the room. Also entering the room with them was the deputy chief of Gyumri's regional administration. Later I found out that that person was Vahram Yengoyan. He began to ask me questions, about who killed Karen Yesayan. I said I don't know him and I don't know about that murder. Hearing this response, he struck me with his fists and cursed.
"He was hitting my kidneys and then my left ear. Afterwards, I fell to the floor; he picked up a black rubber truncheon and hit my legs. During the entire beating, he was cursing and giving orders to kill me. Then the masked men began to attack me — as for what part of my body they were hitting me, I don't remember. I remember very well the room's exposed electrical wires and the colonel barking each time, keep him away from the wires.
"After the beating, investigator Khachik Hayrapetyan questioned me. Many facts noted in the testimony given to him are not true. Then came Karen Babakekhyan and asked me questions about the murder. It was already late, Babakekhyan gave orders to take me to his room at the regional administration. Coming into the room were Babakekhyan, Vahram Yengoyan, and 2 people in civilian clothing. One of them I don't remember, but the other, I later found out, was head of the criminal intelligence unit Ashot Karapetyan. Babakekhyan began to hit me, gripping my ear with one hand, while hitting my other ear with his other hand. During that time he ordered [someone] (I can't remember his name, Azat or Araz) to bring a chair. He brought a wooden chair, but Babakekhyan became indignant, saying, bring a metal chair. They lay me down on the floor, on my back, my head partly leaning on the wall; put the chair (seat facing me) in front of me, took my feet and put them on the seat. One of them, Vahram Yengoyan, removed my shoes. Babakekhyan hit my legs with the black truncheon, on the sole of my feet. During that time Karapetyan and Yengoyan were restraining me so I wouldn't move. They wanted to force me, through beating, to say that allegedly I killed Karen. I received the most brutal beating and the majority of bodily injuries during that time. The beating was so severe that I lost consciousness," he said.