Investigation into the case on brawl with Anzor Karapetyan involved was not objective
19:15, May 23, 2016 | News, Own news
Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Vanadzor carries on protecting the rights of the successors of Anzor Karapetyan who deceased at Armavir Penitentiary on January 4, 2016.
Attorney Ani Chatinyan, lawyer at HCA Vanadzor, represents the interests of the victim’s successors also under the criminal case initiated on the brawl with Anzor Karapetyan involved.
On April 27, 2016, Armavir Marz (Region) Investigative Department of the RA Investigative Committee decreed not to prosecute the other persons involved in the brawl and terminate the criminal proceedings.
According to the above decree, the actions of the persons involved in the brawl, including inflicting bodily injuries to Anzor Karapetyan, were viewed as self-defense.
The investigator’s decree was appealed by Ani Chatinyan, representative of the victim’s successor. According to A. Chatinyan, no effective investigation was carried out, and evidence was obtained on the bodily injuries inflicted only by A. Karapetyan, and no evidence was obtained on the actions of others.
Furthermore, the investigating agency took no measures to find out the causes of A. Karapetyan’s bodily injuries and the mechanisms of their infliction despite the forensic examination. This shows that the evidence under the case is subject to a thorough and objective scrutiny.
As for the evidence provided by interrogated persons, the investigating agency possessing contradicting testimonies considered credible only the evidence of the brawl participants, even though the latter had an opportunity to conspire about their testimonies since they were questioned several days after the incident.
The investigating agency also ignored the testimonies of A. Karapetyan’s mother that some police officers approached the group twice to prevent the brawl and took no measures to identify and question the police officers above.
Based on the above, it was required to annul the investigator’s decree not to initiate criminal prosecution and to terminate the criminal proceedings.