ArmInfo.Hayk Halumyan, the lawer of Vahan Shirkhanyan, the Former Deputy Minister of Defense, who was accused due to armed gang case and arrested, blows the whistle: his client is absolutely isolated. This was stated by Hayk Halumyan, Vahan Shirkhanyan's lawyer at a press conference on February 13.
According to Halumyan, his attempts to meet Shirkhanyan were all in vain. That means Vahan Shirkhanyan is being kept under conditions of total isolation - he is not allowed to meet either with his relatives and with the lawyer. According to the lawyer, the written reason of rejection read that Vahan Shirkhanyan does'not want to abandon his cell and to admit the visitors room. "During recent six months Vahan Shirkhanyan could not walk to the visitors room due to his health conditions, he was always helped while coming to meet me, and now they don't want to help him any more," Halumyan clarified. According to him, he asked the management of the penitentiary to allow him to meet his client in the cell, but his request was rejected.
He was verbally informed that the territory of the cell is a prohibited zone, and the entrance is prohibited for lawyers also. "This is just a hint - the reason of rejection lays much deeper. They just want to break the resistance of Mr. Shirkhanyan, to stress him down. But they will not succeed with that, adding that the last hope is the European Human Rights, which got to intensive actions: ECHR addressed 5 questions to Arm,enian Government related to Vahan Shirkhanyan's health and the answers whould be given by February 22.," Hayk HAlumyan reminded.
Vahan Shirkhanyan was suspected of complicity in the actions of Arthur Vardanyan's armed group. He may face charges based on Article 223.2 of the Armenian Criminal Code (creation and participation in a criminal community).
To note, as a result of investigative measures taken by the National Security Service (NSS) of Armenia, an organized criminal group intending to commit grave crimes in the territory of Armenia was disclosed on November 25. A citizen of Armenia Arthur Vardanyan, native of Yerevan, living in a foreign state, set up and managed a criminal group as soon as he arrived in Yerevan in 2015. According to preliminary agreement, the group illegally acquired weapons and ammunition. On November 25, the joint measures taken with the Armenian Police found arms and ammunition, explosives, communication facilities and other things. As many as 10 people were arrested, with 11 more arrested later. During a private hearing on November 27, the regular court of Kentron and Nork Marash administrative districts of Yerevan sustained the motion of the National Security Service of Armenia (NSS) to use arrest as a measure of restraint against the gang members detained in Yerevan. The NSS Investigative Department has instituted a criminal case based on Article 223 Parts 1 and 2 (creation of a criminal group or participation in a criminal community - imprisonment for 6-10 years), and Article 235 Part 3 (illegal acquisition, sale, keeping, transportation or bearing of weapons, ammunition, explosive compounds or explosive devices - imprisonment for 3-8 years) of the Armenian Criminal Code.