Charge Against Man Accused of Fatally Stabbing Wife 21 Times Changed

The Court of First Instance of Ararat and Vayots Dzor Districts today changed the charge against Volodya Muradyan, the husband of 35-year-old Diana Nahapetyan, accused of fatally stabbing his wife 21 times from RA Criminal Code Article 104 Section 1, to RA Criminal Code Article 104 Section 1 Paragraph 5: "murder with particular cruelty". If convicted, he faces 12–20 years in prison. 

As told to Epress.am by Society Without Violence NGO Rapid Response Unit coordinator Lida Minasyan, today's court session didn't last long, since after the charge was changed, the defense attorney was given time to prepare till the next session, scheduled for April 30.

Minasyan also said that the court granted the request of Armen Manukyan, the injured party's legal successor's attorney, to hold hearings in the civil lawsuit demanding the confiscation of funds.

Recall, during the course of the investigation, the court found that Muradyan was not under "cumulative effect," that is, an unstable mental state resulting from a series of incidents, and though he was in a "highly emotional state," his consciousness was not completely clouded over when he committed the crime. That is, he was sane and of sound mind when the crime was committed.