Epress.am News from Armenia
Complaints of the legal successor to the victim in the case of 3.5-year-old Artashes Sedrakyan have reached the Court of Appeals, but the other party, the respondent, is persistently absent from court sessions.
The first court session at the Court of Appeal was today, and Monika Margaryan, representing the victim's father, Sayad Sedrakyan, presented the complaint, challenging the decision to stop the criminal prosecution of Dr. Armenuhi Harutyunyan of Armavir Medical Center, who treated the child.
The decision was made by Armavir's prosecution, but the prosecution's representatives were present neither at the lower court sessions nor the day the verdict was announced — nor today at the Court of Appeals.
Earlier, the child's father, Sedrakyan, in conversation with Epress.am, said all five forensic examinations of three-and-a-half-year-old Artashes Sedrakyan confirmed that the child died because of medical errors and omissions, but no one is accused, no one was punished. Criminal prosecution of the doctor treating the child was first postponed because of her good character then on the grounds that it wasn't possible to provide medical assistance to the child because of the lack of appropriate equipment at the medical facility.
"I consider the absence of the defense party as an expression of irresponsibility. They know that the decision to quash the case is unfounded; they cannot present any arguments in court. But such behavior is contemptuous," said the attorney, Margaryan, in court.
Presiding Judge Sergei Chichoyan stated that the party was notified of the court date and copies of the plaintiff's applications were sent to them, but he has not received a written explanation that the defendant will not be appearing in court. The court promised to send another notice, ensuring the defendant's presence at the next court date, which is scheduled for Feb. 26.