Arshak Svazyan says he has 'personal affection' for Serzh Sargsyan (video)
Arshak Svazyan, the 42-year-old man who attacked Armenian lawmaker Aram Manukyan in December 2014, says he has been a genuine patriot since childhood. He says he has affection for Serzh Sargsyan and considers him to be his elder brother. Today the prosecutor read out Svazyan’s testimony during the examination of evidence. According to the testimony, Svazyan had decided to punish the person who had sworn his commander [Serzh Sargsyan.] “I decided to hit him in the mouth so that he would never use abusive language again,” Svazyan said in the testimony. This referred to Aram Manukyan’s words uttered in one of the rallies organized by the opposition in Yerevan. During today’s court hearing, the defendant refused to testify, saying he had already pleaded guilty to charges against him. Svazyan added that he did not regret attacking and beating Aram Manukyan. Today, the court also decided that Aram Manukyan and his legal representative are not obliged to participate in next court hearings. The prosecution is due to read out a closing speech on June 1.
