\n\tWitness Henrik Zakaryan in court on Tuesday claimed that he gave a bribe of $2,000 to Volodya Avetisyan (pictured) in order to place his grandson in a military unit closer to home. \n<\/p>\n
\n\tAfter he made this statement, the war veterans supporting Avetisyan cursed him, calling him a traitor, shouting "Why don't you say that they put pressure on you?" and "How are you going to go back to Leninakan [Gyumri]? In a skirt?" (In other words, calling him a "sissy".)\n<\/p>\n
\n\tThose cursing and shouting were removed from the courtroom, while Zakaryan explained that the family wanted the grandson to be in a close military unit because he has psychological problems and experiences memory loss. \n<\/p>\n
\n\tRecall, Zakaryan's grandson is Henrik Hakobyan, who is also named as a witness in the case against Karabakh War veteran Volodya Avetisyan. Avetisyan doesn't admit to the charges; moreover, he claims the charges against him are a result of political persecution, since he was one of the organizers of regular protests by veterans. At the last court session, Henrik Hakobyan had said he doesn't remember whether he met with the investigator to give a testimony or not.\n<\/p>\n
\n\tZakaryan also said he was summoned to the police station for questioning, saying that they are going to reward him. "I wouldn't testify, if there wasn't a recording against me," he said in court; however, it was not made apparent in court what recording he was referring to. \n<\/p>\n
\n\t"I, more than you, want Volodya Avetisyan to be released. I have nothing to claim from him," the witness added. \n<\/p>\n
\n\tAfter questions from the defense and the prosecution, it became clear that Henrik Zakaryan was held for a long time at the police station and was not informed of his rights. The witness and his grandson were forced to spend the night at the station.\n<\/p>\n
\n\tThe witness gave contradictory testimonies in court, so it's unclear whether he was kept in police custody by force or the witness himself remained voluntarily. \n<\/p>\n
\n\t"They let me go and I didn't go?" said Zakaryan, rather rhetorically. Later, however, he said that he had nowhere to stay in Yerevan, which is why he spent the night at the police station. \n<\/p>\n