YEREVAN. – A capital city Yerevan court on Monday denied the petition by Hrach Mushegyan, head of the investigative team on the criminal case into the events that occurred in Armenia’s capital city in March 2008, to remand in custody Vahagn Harutyunyan, the former head of this investigative team. Armenian News-NEWS.am has learned this from the court staff.

Harutyunyan’s attorney Mihran Poghosyan told Armenian News-NEWS.am, however, that the body conducting the proceedings will either appeal this decision or invent new grounds for detaining his client because, according to the lawyer, they have a problem with Vahagn Harutyunyan’s person.

Investigative Committee former Deputy Chairman Harutyunyan is a defendant in the aforesaid criminal case. He is charged with abuse of official power, and falsifying evidence within the framework 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.