Did not demand punishment
Prosecutor Hunan Babayan asked for two working days to prepare an indictment on the case of Helsinki Association observer Arshaluys Hakobyan. According to Babayan, there was a need for adequacy and the indictment had to be prepared in a duly manner. Judge Gagik Avetisyan scheduled the next trial for October 16 at 12 p.m.
According to the case materials, on June 5 policemen paid a visit to Hakobyan's house to hand him a notice from the Special Investigative Service. Hakobyan was drunk, cursed them, signed in the wrong spot, didn't follow the policemen's instructions and started beating them. As a result, he was taken to the police station by two police officers from the Kentron police division who arrived to the scene. Arshaluys Hakobyan was charged based on the testimonies of four policemen, by Part 1 of Article 316 of the Criminal Code, that is, "violence against a state representative". Today Gagik Avetisyan released the response to the question connected to the time of arrest. "The correction of the time of arrest is clearly stated," said the judge to the prosecutor and advised the latter to treat the matter seriously later on.
Let us mention that in the notice it is stated that Arshaluys Hakobyan was taken to the police station at 2:30 p.m., and 1 p.m. in the case materials. Based on the materials, the police checked how drunk he was at 2:30 p.m. Gayane Khachatryan also presented the conclusion of the medical examination where it is stated that he had received blows on different parts of his body. Arshaluys Hakobyan also presented the photos where it is seen that he had been hit on the head.
The judge suspected that that could have been Arshaluys's head. Today advocate Arshaluys Hakobyan also answered the judge's questions and said: "They didn't come to give me a notice, but to arrest me. However, they needed a reason for arresting me." Arshaluys Hakobyan said that he doesn't smoke at home at all because he has children and the police thought that I was smoking after seeing a cigarette box on the table. The advocate added that Arshaluys Hakobyan's arrest is connected to the elections for Yerevan's Council of Elders. Arshaluys Hakobyan had observed the May 31 elections and had spoken out against the violations.
