YEREVAN. – The Criminal Court of Appeal of Armenia on Wednesday issued its decision with respect to the custody of Investigative Committee former Deputy Chairman Vahagn Harutyunyan, who is a defendant in the criminal case into what had occurred in capital city Yerevan, in March 2008.
Harutyunyan’s attorney Mihran Poghosyan told Armenian News-NEWS.am that the court partially granted the motion by the defense, overturned the decision on his client’s arrest, and sent the case back to the first-instance court for a retrial.
“I believe the court has placed the emphasis on the violations regarding deprivation of the right to defense, about which the defense was voicing,” Poghosyan added.
On December 30, 2018 the capital city Yerevan Court of General Jurisdiction ruled a second time that Vahagn Harutyunyan be remanded in custody.
On December 12, the Criminal Court of Appeal had overturned the first-instance court decision on November 2, and with respect to remanding Harutyunyan in custody. He is charged with abuse of official power, and falsifying evidence within the framework of the aforesaid March 2008 criminal case.
According to the Special Investigation Service, during investigation along the lines of the above-said criminal case, it was found out that, from 2007 to 2011—and as head of the team investigating the events that occurred in Yerevan in March 2008, Harutyunyan had falsified evidence during the investigation of this criminal case.
In July of the year past, Vahagn Harutyunyan was dismissed from the office of Deputy Chairman of the Investigative Committee, and as head of the general department of investigation of especially important cases.
On March 1 and 2, 2008 the then authorities of Armenia used force against the opposition members who were rallying in downtown Yerevan, and against the results of the presidential election on February 19, 2008. Eight demonstrators as well as two servicemen of the internal troops were killed in the clashes. But no one had been brought to account for these deaths, to this day.
