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FAIRNESS IN QUESTION: TWO HIGH-PROFILE CASES PUT SPOTLIGHT ON JUSTICE SYSTEM
Human rights | 11.09.14 | 16:07
By Gayane Lazarian
ArmeniaNow reporter
Two high-interest legal cases with questionable outcomes have given
ground for human rights defenders to claim that large-scale crimes
in Armenia remain unpunished, whilst small ones get severe punishments.
Reform NGO President Karine Hakobyan reflected on the cases of popular
actor Vardan Petrosyan and Tseghakron party leader Shant Harutyunyan,
saying that these are different cases by nature but have the common
line of unfairness.
Last November 5 in Mashtots Avenue clashes between the police and a
group of activists resulted in 48-year-old Shant Harutyunyan's and 13
other citizens' arrest. They are accused of executing violence toward
government representatives. Before this event Shant Harutyunyan had
held a sitting strike in the Freedom Square for several days with a
slogan "I start a revolution".
In the other case, a BMW car driven by Vardan Petrosyan collided with
a Niva on the Yeghvard-Yerevan highway on October 20 last year killing
two teenagers and injuring three more people in the car. Petrosyan
himself received injuries and underwent surgery after the crash.
The well-known Armenian stand up artist is charged under the Criminal
Code article dealing with "negligent breach of traffic rules, resulting
in the death of two or more people." If found guilty he could face
4-10 years in jail.
At trial September 8 a prosecutor demanded seven years of imprisonment
for Shant Harutyunyan, and five years for his teenage son, Shahen
Harutyunyan. The 15-year-old boy stands accused of hitting a police
officer with a megaphone during the protest.
"I came to the Freedom Square on November 5 and learnt that there
will be a rally, but I did not know its direction. Then I heard an
explosion. I saw how my father and his friends were being beaten
by the police, so I started beating them," the 15-year-old Shahen
Harutyunyan testified at a hearing.
Armenian Helsinki Committee leader Avetik Ishkhanyan says Shant
Harutyunyan suggests no danger for the government, he could not
have realized a revolution, and if their protest was not prevented
nothing would have happened. Ishkhanyan thinks that Harutyunyan and
his friends should have faced administrative charges at most.
"I do not know how to characterize this; to keep Shant and his
friends captive for so long and then to sentence them to a 7-8-year
imprisonment," says the human rights defender. "What refers to Shant's
son, ask the judge, what he would have done if his father were beaten
in front of his eyes. Would he not have done the same?"
Shant Harutyunyan's wife, Ruzan Badalyan told at an interview with
Kentron TVa Outline show that she is very sorry for what happened,
but the son will not apologize to the government, because he did not
do anything.
"They sentence a child to 5-year imprisonment for simply trying to
protect his father. This speaks of the immorality of this country's
officials, legislative and judicial systems," Badalyan said.
Reflecting on the famous actor's case, human rights defender Ishkhanyan
mentioned that the public showed interest in the case of the beloved
actor and the accusation was shifted toward the victim's side which
made the situation complicated.
"Vardan Petrosyan is also being revenged for something. Was he one
of those dangerous criminals to avoid trial that they kept him under
arrest? Following the trial developments we can clearly see that he
was not entirely guilty. I consider the continuation of this case as a
political revenge as well for his free mind, free speech and the rest.
Maybe the government is waiting for some compromise, for some
suggestion?"
The actor rejects the theory of him being drunk or driving with an
excessively high speed, as claimed by the relatives of the victims
and some media. Before getting arrested Petrosyan called the accident
a tragedy and he sent his condolences to the families of the deceased.
The actor, however, expressed distrust toward the investigation
claiming that he does not intend to hide and is ready to carry all
charges if the court decides so.
Karine Hakobyan mentioned that she was present at two hearings of
Petrosyan's case and is assured that it is led very 'illiterately'.
"Vardan Petrosyan is actually a victim. A wrong investigation was led
from the very beginning and now everything is built on those grounds,"
she said.
http://armenianow.com/society/human_rights/56774/shant_harutyunyan_vardan_petrosyan_armenian_justic e_system
From: A. Papazian
Human rights | 11.09.14 | 16:07
By Gayane Lazarian
ArmeniaNow reporter
Two high-interest legal cases with questionable outcomes have given
ground for human rights defenders to claim that large-scale crimes
in Armenia remain unpunished, whilst small ones get severe punishments.
Reform NGO President Karine Hakobyan reflected on the cases of popular
actor Vardan Petrosyan and Tseghakron party leader Shant Harutyunyan,
saying that these are different cases by nature but have the common
line of unfairness.
Last November 5 in Mashtots Avenue clashes between the police and a
group of activists resulted in 48-year-old Shant Harutyunyan's and 13
other citizens' arrest. They are accused of executing violence toward
government representatives. Before this event Shant Harutyunyan had
held a sitting strike in the Freedom Square for several days with a
slogan "I start a revolution".
In the other case, a BMW car driven by Vardan Petrosyan collided with
a Niva on the Yeghvard-Yerevan highway on October 20 last year killing
two teenagers and injuring three more people in the car. Petrosyan
himself received injuries and underwent surgery after the crash.
The well-known Armenian stand up artist is charged under the Criminal
Code article dealing with "negligent breach of traffic rules, resulting
in the death of two or more people." If found guilty he could face
4-10 years in jail.
At trial September 8 a prosecutor demanded seven years of imprisonment
for Shant Harutyunyan, and five years for his teenage son, Shahen
Harutyunyan. The 15-year-old boy stands accused of hitting a police
officer with a megaphone during the protest.
"I came to the Freedom Square on November 5 and learnt that there
will be a rally, but I did not know its direction. Then I heard an
explosion. I saw how my father and his friends were being beaten
by the police, so I started beating them," the 15-year-old Shahen
Harutyunyan testified at a hearing.
Armenian Helsinki Committee leader Avetik Ishkhanyan says Shant
Harutyunyan suggests no danger for the government, he could not
have realized a revolution, and if their protest was not prevented
nothing would have happened. Ishkhanyan thinks that Harutyunyan and
his friends should have faced administrative charges at most.
"I do not know how to characterize this; to keep Shant and his
friends captive for so long and then to sentence them to a 7-8-year
imprisonment," says the human rights defender. "What refers to Shant's
son, ask the judge, what he would have done if his father were beaten
in front of his eyes. Would he not have done the same?"
Shant Harutyunyan's wife, Ruzan Badalyan told at an interview with
Kentron TVa Outline show that she is very sorry for what happened,
but the son will not apologize to the government, because he did not
do anything.
"They sentence a child to 5-year imprisonment for simply trying to
protect his father. This speaks of the immorality of this country's
officials, legislative and judicial systems," Badalyan said.
Reflecting on the famous actor's case, human rights defender Ishkhanyan
mentioned that the public showed interest in the case of the beloved
actor and the accusation was shifted toward the victim's side which
made the situation complicated.
"Vardan Petrosyan is also being revenged for something. Was he one
of those dangerous criminals to avoid trial that they kept him under
arrest? Following the trial developments we can clearly see that he
was not entirely guilty. I consider the continuation of this case as a
political revenge as well for his free mind, free speech and the rest.
Maybe the government is waiting for some compromise, for some
suggestion?"
The actor rejects the theory of him being drunk or driving with an
excessively high speed, as claimed by the relatives of the victims
and some media. Before getting arrested Petrosyan called the accident
a tragedy and he sent his condolences to the families of the deceased.
The actor, however, expressed distrust toward the investigation
claiming that he does not intend to hide and is ready to carry all
charges if the court decides so.
Karine Hakobyan mentioned that she was present at two hearings of
Petrosyan's case and is assured that it is led very 'illiterately'.
"Vardan Petrosyan is actually a victim. A wrong investigation was led
from the very beginning and now everything is built on those grounds,"
she said.
http://armenianow.com/society/human_rights/56774/shant_harutyunyan_vardan_petrosyan_armenian_justic e_system
From: A. Papazian