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AMNESTY APPLIED TO POLICE OFFICERS CHARGED WITH VAHAN KHALAFYAN'S DEATH
epress.am
06.15.2011 14:20
The appeals court Wednesday ruled to throw out the appeals in the case
of Vahan Khalafyan who died under suspicious circumstances on Apr. 13,
2010, while detained at the Charentsavan police division.
Recall, as previously reported, Khalafyan died in hospital hours after
being detained at the police precinct in Charentsavan on charges of
theft. The authorities claimed that he had stabbed himself after
being ill-treated by police officers but his family disputed the
suicide account. In November, two police officers were sentenced
for abuse of official authority, which allegedly caused the suicide;
one to eight years' imprisonment and his subordinate to two years'
suspended sentence. Two other officers, Garik Davtyan and Gagik
Ghazaryan, were absolved.
According to RFE/RL's Armenian service, the court also ruled
Wednesday to apply the general amnesty granted on occasion of the
20th anniversary of Armenia's independence on former head of the
investigations department at Charentsavan police division Ashot
Harutyunyan, by reducing his sentence by one third. The court also
applied the amnesty to Charentsavan police officer Mores Hayrapetyan,
releasing him from imprisonment.
All parties in this case raised complaints. The plaintiffs were
displeased because the lower court's ruling absolved the two officers,
while Ashot Harutyunyan was displeased for being sentenced to 8 years'
imprisonment and Khalafyan's parents, insisting that their son was
killed at the police department, demanded all those officers who had
a connection with the incident should be appropriately punished. In
January, Khalafyan's mother, Zoya Harutyunyan, told RFE/RL's Armenian
service that the real person guilty in her son's death was deputy
police chief Samvel Tonoyan.
Courtesy photo, RFE/RL's Armenian service.
epress.am
06.15.2011 14:20
The appeals court Wednesday ruled to throw out the appeals in the case
of Vahan Khalafyan who died under suspicious circumstances on Apr. 13,
2010, while detained at the Charentsavan police division.
Recall, as previously reported, Khalafyan died in hospital hours after
being detained at the police precinct in Charentsavan on charges of
theft. The authorities claimed that he had stabbed himself after
being ill-treated by police officers but his family disputed the
suicide account. In November, two police officers were sentenced
for abuse of official authority, which allegedly caused the suicide;
one to eight years' imprisonment and his subordinate to two years'
suspended sentence. Two other officers, Garik Davtyan and Gagik
Ghazaryan, were absolved.
According to RFE/RL's Armenian service, the court also ruled
Wednesday to apply the general amnesty granted on occasion of the
20th anniversary of Armenia's independence on former head of the
investigations department at Charentsavan police division Ashot
Harutyunyan, by reducing his sentence by one third. The court also
applied the amnesty to Charentsavan police officer Mores Hayrapetyan,
releasing him from imprisonment.
All parties in this case raised complaints. The plaintiffs were
displeased because the lower court's ruling absolved the two officers,
while Ashot Harutyunyan was displeased for being sentenced to 8 years'
imprisonment and Khalafyan's parents, insisting that their son was
killed at the police department, demanded all those officers who had
a connection with the incident should be appropriately punished. In
January, Khalafyan's mother, Zoya Harutyunyan, told RFE/RL's Armenian
service that the real person guilty in her son's death was deputy
police chief Samvel Tonoyan.
Courtesy photo, RFE/RL's Armenian service.