Epress.am News from Armenia
"It's [our] family, it’s [our] home, yeah, I hit [her] once — on the cheek," said Sargis Hakobyan, 33, accused of causing psychological and physical pain, and beating his wife for 9 years, on Monday in the Gegharkunik District Court of First Instance.
After being postponed four times, this was the first hearing in the case against Hakobyan. The hearing on Feb. 24 lasted quite a long time — questioned were the victim, Hasmik Khachatryan (pictured below), 27, and her parents, who are named as witnesses in the case.
Hakobyan's parents, also called as witnesses, were absent in court. According to a note by their family doctor, Hakobyan's mother, who is known in Gavar as fortune teller Varsik, is suffering from sclerosis. The judge, however, said that if the witnesses fail to appear in court at the next hearing they will be detained.
At the start of the hearing, presiding Judge Aghvan Petrosyan, when clarifying the personal information of the parties, asked the defendant of his marital status. Hakobyan said, "Well, like this," meaning that his wife has taken him to court. The defendant pleaded not guilty and said he hit his wife "only once."
Before hearing the testimonies, the court considered two motions, one of which referred to the injured party's request to place the defendant in pre-trial detention. Khachatryan's attorney insisted that her client's husband has repeatedly threatened her client and poses a threat. The court decided to consider this motion after it examined the evidence.
The accused's representative, public defender Tigran Abrahamyan, made a motion for court hearings to be closed door, since, as he said, the trial concerns the accused's right to privacy. Abrahamyan said criminal proceedings wouldn't have launched if the media and women's rights organizations didn't turn their attention to the case. The court dismissed this motion.
Recall, such a motion was adopted in the case of domestic violence victim Mariam Gevorgyan, who was in the Gegharkunik court on Monday and supporting Hasmik Khachatryan.
In court, Khachatryan repeated the testimony she gave during the preliminary investigation, that she was beaten for 9 years. In her testimony, she also said that her husband is very jealous, not allowing her to visit her relatives and being jealous when Prosperous Armenia Party leader and businessman Gagik Tsarukyan gave flowers to students at Gavar State University on March 8, including a bouquet to her.
According to the injured party, her husband didn't allow her to graduate from university because she was pregnant. "Isn't it embarrassing to be seen like this? I'll take your exams," Hakobyan told her.
Khachatryan then detailed 3 instances of abuse that occurred on May 5, 2013; at the end of May 2013; and June 12, 2013. After the last incident, she ran away from her husband's home. On May 5, her husband hit her on the head, her ear, and kept her under alternating cold and hot water. According to Khachatryan's testimony in court, she was bedridden for one week. Furthermore, she wasn't allowed to see her father on his birthday, May 12. At the end of May, her husband came home drunk again, asked whether she knows that he's "a good guy," and put out his cigarette on his wife's hand. In June, Hakobyan beat Khachatryan with not only his hands and feet, but also a chair.
Khachatryan's parents also testified, confirming that there there were regular disputes in the family and their daughter constantly escaped and came to their home, but she always returned to her husband, because she has children.
During recess and after the court session, Hakobyan's friends and family hurled insults to the journalists and NGOs who came to support Khachatryan. One of them said, "They're telling lies, but sweet lies," referring to the victim and her parents.
Next court date is scheduled for March 18 at 12 pm.