Epress.am News from Armenia
The court hearing in the case of domestic violence survivor Hasmik Khachatryan held in the Gegharkunik District Court of First Instance today passed without any major incidents. Last time, supporter of Hasmik Khachatryan's husband, Sargis Hakobyan (pictured, left), Armenian-Russian Union leader Robert Aharonyan attacked human rights activists and journalists, cursing them and telling them to leave Gavar, where the trial is taking place.
This time, a big group of people had come from Yerevan to support Khachatryan. According to NGO representatives, this is why Robert Aharonyan and those accompanying him refrained from provocations.
Nevertheless, Aharonyan together with several men cursed at the women who came to support the victim, making offensive statements about their clothing or hairstyles. Some of the men even attempted to obstruct the work of journalists, not allowing them to film. One person tried to snatch the phone of one of the activists.
The court hearing itself passed peacefully. The prosecution made a motion to attach to the case and read in court the couple's daughter Varsik's explanation. The prosecutor considered it important to assess all the evidence in the case, since the defense witnesses said Hasmik subjected their 7-year-old deaf child to violence.
Representing Sargis Hakobyan, public defender Tigran Abrahamyan also made a motion — for Hasmik to undergo a new medical examination.
"Found on [Hasmik’s] left forearm is a pigmented area, which might be the result of a burn, but also might not. If it turns out that there are such marks on other parts of Hasmik’s body then [the claim that] the wound on her hand is a result of a cigarette burn would be refuted," he said.
Presiding Judge Aghvan Petrosyan granted the motion. Therefore, it seems, that the defense wants to show that the mark on Hasmik's hand is the result of a skin disease and not cigarette burns as Hasmik claims.
The court hearings were postponed indefinitely.
Photo credit: Women's Support Center