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Eyewitnesses afraid of torture

Politics


"You have to give the testimony that we tell you, if you want to stay alive. That's what I did. I was forced to give the testimony. They forced me to testify as if there was a pole in Myasnik's hand," Myasnik Malkhasyan's eyewitness Henrik Hartinyan told "A1+".

Hartinyan is going to testify tomorrow in court. Today, the police headquarters of Ashtarak had surrounded Hartinyan's house to arrest him. Hartinyan didn't know what they wanted from him. Hartinyan, who has already been submitted to torture for giving a false testimony, has promised to tell the truth in Yerevan.

While Hartinyan was giving an interview to "A1+", Chief of Police of Ashtarak Khachik Sargsyan called him on his cell-phone and asked him to come to the police headquarters.

President of the Helsinki Committee Mikayel Danielyan, whom Hartinyan had asked for help, told Sargsyan that Hartinyan will not come to the police headquarters until he doesn't receive full notification. Danielyan informed the police to mention his status in the notice. The Chief of Police agreed to send a notice under the condition that Hartinyan would come to court.

We also met with Khachik Davtyan, who had also undergone torture. "I have been at the rally and was injured on March 1. They brought me to the Prosecutor's General's office on May 17 and tortured me until I wrote what happened."

Khachik Davtyan was called to the prosecutor's office again, but he didn't know why. Khachik Davtyan will go to the prosecutor's office with his attorney tomorrow.

Hmayak Galstyan from the Aragats village of the Aparan region said:

"They arrested me on March 1, took me to the police headquarters and kept me there the whole day. Words can't express how much they tortured me. I am still in a psychologically ill situation. I don't even remember how I wrote those testimonies. I was unconscious and I still can't remember any of the events that happened that day."

Hmayak Galstyan will testify tomorrow in court as well. "I will tell the truth in court tomorrow. They have tried to convince me not to and have seen that that won't help. I refused and nobody can change my decision."