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NO INJURY, NO PUNISHMENT: GOVERNOR'S SLAP OF BUSINESSWOMAN SEEN AS NOT "BEATING"
By Sara Khojoyan
ArmeniaNow
13.12.11
The Special Investigation Service of Armenia has quashed a criminal
case based on businesswoman Silva Hambardzumyan's charges against
Governor of Syunik province Surik Khachatryan who slapped Hambardzumyan
on November 14 because of comments she had made about him.
The attack was witnessed, and recorded on security cameras inside the
Marriott hotel in Yerevan where the encounter took place in the lobby.
Hambardzumyan's case, however, has been thrown out on the basis that
the slap did not "cause bodily harm", and because Khachatryan has
express regret for the incident.
Leaving aside the issue of the decision's being fair of unfair
Hambardzumyan told ArmeniaNow that she considers even this decision
to be a victory.
"I am very thankful to the service [Special Investigation Service],
because it made him [Khachatryan] regret what he did. Until now he
was declaring through the news service of Syunik's governor's office
that he had not done anything like that, whereas now it was found
out that he had done it and regretted it. I am proud and happy,"
Hambardzumyan says.
One week before the incident Hambardzumyan publicly alleged that
Khachatryan had stolen 102 million drams ($267,000) worth of equipment
from her Lichvaz-Tey gold mining company. The governor's attack on the
businesswoman is believed to have been in response to those comments.
Many NGO representatives have released a statement, criticizing the
governor for behaving improperly as a man in such a public area.
Commenting on its decision about quashing the criminal case,
the Special Investigation Service representatives clarified that
Khachatryan's deed did not contain "characteristic features of
'beating' because of its uniqueness and importance: 'beating' in the
Theory of Criminal Law means applying numerous hits aiming to cause
physical pain."
By Sara Khojoyan
ArmeniaNow
13.12.11
The Special Investigation Service of Armenia has quashed a criminal
case based on businesswoman Silva Hambardzumyan's charges against
Governor of Syunik province Surik Khachatryan who slapped Hambardzumyan
on November 14 because of comments she had made about him.
The attack was witnessed, and recorded on security cameras inside the
Marriott hotel in Yerevan where the encounter took place in the lobby.
Hambardzumyan's case, however, has been thrown out on the basis that
the slap did not "cause bodily harm", and because Khachatryan has
express regret for the incident.
Leaving aside the issue of the decision's being fair of unfair
Hambardzumyan told ArmeniaNow that she considers even this decision
to be a victory.
"I am very thankful to the service [Special Investigation Service],
because it made him [Khachatryan] regret what he did. Until now he
was declaring through the news service of Syunik's governor's office
that he had not done anything like that, whereas now it was found
out that he had done it and regretted it. I am proud and happy,"
Hambardzumyan says.
One week before the incident Hambardzumyan publicly alleged that
Khachatryan had stolen 102 million drams ($267,000) worth of equipment
from her Lichvaz-Tey gold mining company. The governor's attack on the
businesswoman is believed to have been in response to those comments.
Many NGO representatives have released a statement, criticizing the
governor for behaving improperly as a man in such a public area.
Commenting on its decision about quashing the criminal case,
the Special Investigation Service representatives clarified that
Khachatryan's deed did not contain "characteristic features of
'beating' because of its uniqueness and importance: 'beating' in the
Theory of Criminal Law means applying numerous hits aiming to cause
physical pain."