Tuesday, September 10 2013

 Human rights defenders Arthur Sakunts and Zhanna Aleksanyan have left the Commission for Non-Combat Deaths. 

In a joint statement the human rights defenders explain their decision with the illegal, as they think, decision of the Investigation Service of the Armenian Defense Ministry to terminate prosecution of the son and bodyguard of ex-governor of Syunik Region Surik Khachatryan. They think that the given decision was adopted on sufferance of Military Prosecutor Gevorg Kostanyan. 

"The above decision at the stage of preliminary investigation undermines public trust in the Military Prosecutor's Office. Military Prosecutor Gevorg Kostanyan's unilateral statements on the case do not inspire confidence in impartiality of the investigation in non-combat deaths," the human rights defenders say. 

To recall, shootouts in front of Syunik Governor Suren Khachatryan's house at 00:10am on June 2 killed former candidate for Goris mayor Avo Budaghyan and wounded his brother Artak Budaghyan, a commander at a military unit in the NKR.  There was another wounded, Nikolay Abrahamyan, a relative and bodyguard of Governor Suren Khachartyan.  A criminal case has been initiated on the basis of Article 103.1 (murder) and Article 235 (illegal use, storage and bearing weapons) of the Criminal Code of Armenia. Syunik Governor Suren Khachatryan's son, Tigran Khachatryan, has been arrested over latest shootouts in Syunik.

Earlier, the governor's bodyguard Zarzand Nikoghosyan was arrested over the case.  On June 3 Suren Khachatryan sent in his resignation declaring that everyone must answer for their mistakes.  He regretted for failing to prevent the tragic incident near his house.  On July 9, the brother of Avetik Budaghyan was charged with Article 137.1 of the Criminal Code.  Budaghyan denies the accusations against him. He was released on the recognizance not to leave.  Later on September 7, Department for Major Cases, Investigation Service, Defense Ministry of Armenia, set free the son and bodyguard of Surik Khachatryan. The Investigation adopted a resolution saying that Tigran Khachatryan and Zarzand Nikoghosyan acted in self-defense.