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On July 23, 2013 the court trial over the case of Hayk Kaleyan’s suicide was held at Stepanakert residence of the RA Syunik Region Court of Common Jurisdiction.

Representative of the victim’s successor Artur Sakunts, Chairman of Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Vanadzor, presented details regarding the court procedure.

Witnesses over the case Volodya Khachatryan and Gevorg Gharazyan were heard at the court trial. The pre-trial and court trial testimonies provided by V. Khachatryan substantially differed from each other. He first proclaimed that during September 6 –November 7 of 2012 period he was in the Military Police and gave evidence during the time spent there.

A number of discrepancies were revealed during the court trial. V. Khachatryan noted that pursuant to the version brought up by the preliminary investigation body, he was the first one to reach the site when the victim fired a gunshot to inflict a suicide. However, he had stated in the preliminary investigation testimony that Company Commander David Aleksanyan was the first one to run to the crime scene.

2 more circumstances were unclear:1) the sergeant, who was standing the nearest to the trench wasn’t the first one to reach Kaleyan and 2) the preliminary investigation testimony stated  that everyone ran away when Hayk took the machine gun and turned, but this time Khachatryan told he was the one to run to Kaleyan. He doesn’t remember the position the gun was lying next to Kaleyan, he neither saw in what position Kaleyan stood upon firing the gunshot, he only supposes Kaleyan was leaning with his abdomen over the gun. In his evidence Khachatryan added that a number of other witnesses had also been in custody.

Gevorg Gharazyan’s testimonies had also changed, he first stated that Hayk’s suicide was unexpected and it was hard to believe a person could have negligently shot himself. He proclaimed he no more feared and decided to tell only the truth by adding that some persons dressed in black, who didn’t want to reveal their identity, beat him at the Military Police and demanded writing whatever was being told by the investigators. Later the investigator gave an explanation in another room.

Artur Sakunts petitioned to the court to have a defense measure applied in relation to the witness since after his words there were no safeguards that pressures wouldn’t be exerted against him.  However, the court rejected the motion. The court trial ended at this. The next court trial is scheduled on August 16, 2013.