"March 1" may be revealed in 5 years
The examination of the case of "March 1" is in progress. Although it isn't active, investigation is underway.
"There are assignments, interrogations and confrontations, if necessary," head of the investigative group in charge of the "March 1" case at the Special Investigative Service Vahagn Harutyunyan told "A1+".
Vahagn Harutyunyan didn't respond to the question of whether there are secret hearings based on the need of preliminary inquiry?
The police officer who had killed 15-year old Alexis Grigoropulos and had caused mass disorder in Athens in 2008 has been sentenced to life in prison. On the day of the incident, another police officer had been acknowledged as guilty and sentenced to 10 years in prison.
How is it that Greek police officers are brought to justice, but not Armenian police? In response, Vahagn Harutyunyan said: "It doesn't matter if it is in Greece of Japan. The important thing is to substantiate the crime. If a person's act is substantiated, the court determines the sentencing. In Armenia, the court still hasn't been able to give a clear substantiation of a crime committed by anyone based on the case examination; otherwise the case would be sent to court and would be examined."
Vahagn Harutyunyan doesn't believe it is right to draw parallels. "We also have crimes that have been revealed and the Greek may have crimes that they haven't been able to reveal. There have been hundreds of cases in Europe when disturbances have led to human casualties, nobody has been brought to justice and the countries' law-enforcement bodies have found that the policemen's actions were normal."
It is still not clear whether the policemen's actions on March 1 were normal or not. "If I were to give a clear substantiation, I would either take a decision or quash cases or sentence people."
Will it finally be possible to identify the weapons and bullets that killed 10 people in central Yerevan? "It is still 2010 and there is no technology that can do that. Taking into account the fact that technology is developing at a very rapid pace, it is not excluded that some methods will be discovered within 5 or 10 years. Currently, there are no methods."
During the PACE Monitoring Committee session, Co-Rapporteur on Armenia John Prescott had clearly announced that the events of March 1 will not be revealed as long as Aghvan Hovsepyan is Armenia's Prosecutor General. How would you comment on that? In response, Vahagn Harutyunyan said:
"I would not like to comment on that. I don't think the revelation of cases depends on individuals."
