Epress.am News from Armenia
Hrachya Gevorgyan, a convict in Nubarashen penitentiary institution in Yerevan, has been freed of charges of attempted sexual assault of his wife Naira Harutyunyan. The charges, as public prosecutor Malyan stated during a court hearing on Wednesday, August 26, have been dropped since the crime has not been proven by any evidence other than Harutyunyan's complaint.
Recall, Hrachya Gevorgyan is accused of holding hostage his then wife, Naira Harutyunyan, and her son, a minor, asking for ransom from Naira's father. Gevorgyan, however, has denied the charges of hostage-taking. During the last 2 years he stated multiple times that the former Chief of the Police Criminal Investigation Unit Artur Gevorgyan for three months attempted to convince him not to protest against the indictment. Then, as stated by Gevorgyan, the former police chief decided to make threats to ensure the accused ceases his fight against the illegality of the criminal case against him. However, the RA Special Investigation Service did not find the convict's claims sufficient to open a criminal case against the police official.
During the hearing on Wednesday the prosecutor also motioned for a new pre-trial investigation, since a key piece of evidence – a video footage – has not been examined. The footage, as stated by the state official, would show whether the accused has used violence against law enforcement officers on the way to the hospital earlier this year.
Hrachya Gevorgyan, though present at the hearing, was unable to express his views on the prosecutor's motion due to poor health. The administration of the penitentiary institution, the defendant claims, refuses to provide him medical treatment.